Surrender
by Vegetarian Salad
Summary: Takes place after Don't Be Afraid and Catch Without Arms but you don't have to read those first. LeeSaku, NejiHina, NaruSasu, GaaIno, ShikaTema, ShinoKiba, onesided SasuSaku, MILD NaruHina, LeeTen.
1. She Reads A Book From Across The Street

Note from the Author: o.O I know. I'm back already. I don't understand it either. This idea's been brewing in my head since around chapter ten of "Catch Without Arms."

And for those of you who are just starting – this is a sequel to "Don't Be Afraid" and "Catch Without Arms", but _you don't have to read those to follow this one!_

This story is dedicated to my sister, Furuido, because she's making an exception and reading this even though she doesn't like AUs … even though she knows the plotline already, because I have to bounce my ideas off someone. -.-

And, no, this doesn't have a happy-go-lucky LeeSaku ending.

_**She reads a book from across the street …**_

_No one has noticed yet._

"Sakura-san!"

She looked up at the sound of her name, waving. "Good morning, Lee-san."

It was nine-thirty on a late-August Saturday morning; the air was still cool from the night, not yet warmed from the late summer sun. Haruno Sakura sat on the porch swing of her house, working on her homework since she had little else to do until the group got together later.

Her boyfriend, Rock Lee, was running across the street toward her, grinning. He was a year older than her – attending DePaul University – and was home for the weekend, as he was every weekend. When he had stepped on the porch, he took a running leap at her, tackling her into a hug.

She threw an arm protectively across her stomach right before he connected with her. "Ow – Lee-san!" she laughed, trying to push him off and embrace him at the same time. "I can't breathe."

_No one's noticed yet._

He jumped back. "Sorry, Sakura-san!" Worry flushed his face. "I didn't hurt you, did I? Should I take you to a doctor?"

She smiled fondly, shaking her head, wrapping both arms across her middle. "I'm alright. Just lay off on the glomping, okay?"

He saluted, strangely affectionate at the same time he was politely detached. "I'll try, Sakura-san." He sat gingerly down beside her, not relaxing until she'd tucked herself beneath his arm. "Sakura-san. I have a question."

"Hm?" she looked up at him. "What is it?"

"Am I annoying?"

Her eyebrow shot up. "Why do you ask that? Wait." She lifted a hand. "Don't tell me. You tried to talk to Neji-san."

Lee nodded. "He told me not to call him again unless I was letting him know someone had died or I had a serious question for him."

"And why were you calling him?"

"I wanted to tell him that _Snakes on a Plane _was the greatest movie ever!" he didn't even fight back his passionate tears. "I wanted to make sure he saw it before it left theatres!"

She sighed, shaking her head. "Lee-san – you know Neji-san. He's very serious. I don't think he's ever seen a movie in his life."

"Not in a few years anyway." Hyuuga Hinata's voice said suddenly as she came up the steps of her house. "Good morning, Sakura-chan, Lee-kun."

"Morning, Hinata-chan." They replied at the same time. "What're you doing here?" Sakura asked, vaguely embarrassed at being caught about talking about her cousin and boyfriend.

"I was hoping I could ask you about a math problem." Hinata rummaged through her bag, pulling out a notebook and flipping it open to a marked page. "What did you get for number twelve?"

Sakura took it from her, referencing the textbook that was already laid out across her lap. "Oh – that one's a pretty simple Algebra problem. I couldn't get it at first either – I had to call Sasuke-kun – we're thinking it's harder than it actually is. Look," she beckoned her over, scribbling in small neat print in the margin of the very-organized paper. "It's a foiling problem."

"Right." The small girl's brow furrowed in concentration.

Lee smiled at the top of her head. _Hinata-chan's changed a lot. Neji-kun's doing wonders for her self-confidence – and she seems to be so determined now, like she wants to be better for him. _"What are you doing today, Hinata-chan?"

Her white eyes lifted to his face. "I was just going to work on some homework like Sakura-chan. Why?"

He grinned blindingly, like he always did. "Well, TenTen and Temari-chan are in town too. Would you like to join the four of us for breakfast this morning?"

She blinked at him, then smiled uncertainly. "Are you sure?"

"Of course! We'd love to have you, Hinata-chan!" Sakura agreed enthusiastically. "You seem so sad now that Neji-san's away – you need to come out with us more and have fun."

"I do go out!" Hinata protested half-heartedly. "I'm with Shino-kun and Kiba-kun most of the time."

"Shino and Kiba don't count." The pink-haired girl laughed. "They're like your brothers. And besides that, they're dating. How awkward."

The younger girl's nose wrinkled slightly. "It's just a little awkward." She blinked. "Isn't Shikamaru-kun coming with us to breakfast too?"

"I forgot to call him!" Lee exclaimed, jumping from his seat and clapping his hands to his cheeks. "He will be very unhappy if we forget to inform him his girlfriend is in town!"

"For some reason," Sakura's expression was a little skeptical, "I have a feeling Shikamaru won't care one way or the other. And besides that, he's probably not awake and Temari's _probably _going to go jump on his bed and start screaming at him to get up as soon as we eat."

Hinata giggled, clasping her notebook to her chest. "Thank you for your help, Sakura-chan, and for the offer, Lee-san, but I'll pass today." She waved, trotting down the steps to begin her walk home. "I'll see you later. We're going to Pizza Hut?"

"Yeah. Bye, Hinata-chan!" Sakura waved, green eyes reflecting her frown as soon as the other girl was out of sight. "I worry about her."

"Why?" As always, Lee seemed oblivious to the despondency of others.

"She's lovesick." She explained. "You can tell it just by the way she walks. And everyone knows her smile is fake." _Actually, I know just how she feels._

"She does seem much more unhappy when Neji is gone." Lee admitted. "But she really won't let us help her cheer up, will she?"

"Only Neji-san can fix her." She carefully shut her textbook, as if it was a cherished memento, and set it aside. "Come on. We're going to be late."

0

Yamanaka Ino sighed, swiping the back of her hand across her sweating forehead, sitting back on her heels.

The summer heat hadn't yet departed from the air, and she had been working in her flower garden for hours now. _Temari, Lee, and TenTen should be here by now_, she thought absently, pulling at a bunch of dandelions that leered defiantly before her lilies. _I wonder if everyone's going out this morning. _Her train of thought shifted abruptly to her best friend. _Forehead girl's been getting kind of chubby lately. I wonder if I should mention it. _She smirked lightly. _She'd get really angry. I'll probably just have to subtly suggest recipes for her to try – maybe I can get her to go jogging with me in the mornings._

"Morning, Ino."

She turned, smiling. _Speak of the devil. _"Morning, Sakura. What's new?"

The pink-haired girl sat carefully beside her, a perturbed look flawing her face.

"What's wrong?"

She sighed, looking at her friend with desperate eyes. "Ino, I need your advice on something."

The blonde resisted grinning. _I knew it. I bet she's asking for dieting tips. Or maybe –_

"I'm pregnant."

_Never saw that one coming. _

"What should I do?" Her silence apparently worried Sakura. "No one knows yet, except you." Her hand settled lightly on the bulge of her stomach. "But I can't hide it anymore."

_Why didn't I notice before that she's only bigger in her stomach? _"Well, first and foremost," somehow Ino retained her calm, "you have to tell Lee."

Green eyes averted, and fair fingers picked at the grass uncomfortably.

She sighed inwardly. "And what's the matter with telling Lee?"

"Ino," Sakura's voice came out a strained whisper, "I've never slept with Lee."

0

Additional A/N: Ooh. Cliffhanger.

And why _Snakes on a Plane_? Because it's probably the funniest concept for a movie ever. I work at a cinema and was standing outside one of the _Snakes _theatres and just couldn't stop laughing at the shitty dialogue. I might go see it just to laugh at it.


	2. Waiting For Someone That She'll Never Me

**Conafrex: **o.O That was some really fast reviewing there, babe.

**Einzazmunster: **I feel like I haven't seen a review from you in forever, hun. Yeah – _happy ending for Lee! _Not-so-happy ending for Sakura. I actually like Lee. And I have this thing about making characters I _don't _like suffer. :shifty eyes:

… _**waiting for someone that she'll never meet.**_

Sakura wanted to be just like a gay boy.

Uzumaki Naruto was her hero. He was obnoxious, sure – but he also knew exactly what he wanted and wasn't afraid to ask for it. Because of that admirable trait, he often _got _exactly what he wanted, and Sakura wished she could be that way too. She wanted to find that determined will to _take _what she wanted.

That aside, Sakura was also head-over-heels in love with a gay boy - Naruto's gay boy.

Uchiha Sasuke. She'd wanted him for as long as she could remember – she'd wanted to be his everything, because he was her everything. He was beautiful, mysterious – like a rock star – the ideal man.

It had become increasingly obvious that he would never have an interest in her – especially after he'd disappeared for a while and had eventually come back to _Naruto _– and she hated to say that she'd settled.

Lee was there for her – always had been, and she was sure he always would be. He was stable – he was kind – and he was completely selfless. Everything he did, he did for her. No, she didn't think she could ever love him, but she cared for him deeply, and she thought, at the time that she'd agreed to go out with him, that that was good enough.

As time went on, she began to realize that settling for _Lee _wasn't tiding her over. She longed for Sasuke and had eventually found her way into the arms of the second-best thing – _Uchiha Itachi._

The man was semi-sick – _completely _sick – but he was as beautiful – if not more so – than his little brother, and it didn't help that he was completely willing to be her screw buddy.

And that's how it went. Sakura dated Lee during the day, went to Itachi by night.

Of course – everything went wrong all at once. The day she found out she was pregnant with a little Uchiha was the day she also found out Itachi had been killed in a gang fight. She was now left desperately alone, a baby on the way, and no one she felt she could tell – no one on her side.

And now that she'd told Ino, she felt only slightly better.

The blonde girl was currently pacing across her living room. "I honestly don't know what to do." She admitted in a mutter, sneakers spinning on the carpet at the wall as she turned to go back to the window. "I've never been in this situation before." Her hair was down, falling in lovely disarray around her face. "Do you mind if I call Shikamaru? He'd know what to do."

"Why Shikamaru?"

"Because he's a _genius_!" she exclaimed, arms flailing, immediately calming into a subdued exasperation. "I don't know who to talk to – except maybe my mom."

"Don't tell your mom!" Sakura leaned forward from her position on the couch too quickly and immediately settled back to ease the ache it had caused in her spine. "If you tell your mom – she's going to tell mine!"

Ino snorted. "Like she hasn't noticed. I'm positive she knows already and is just waiting for you to tell her."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because she's a mom. _Knowing _is what moms _do._"

0

"Hey."

Something hit Nara Shikamaru's head rather abruptly – and more than a little painfully. He groaned, pulling his blankets up over his cheekbone. "Go away."

"Don't you tell me to go away!" Temari's voice scolded him as that little unknown nuisance made his brain quake again. Deep blue eyes glared over the edge of his comforter at him. "I came all this way to see you, and you can't even trouble yourself to get out of bed!"

"Then _you _get _in._" He grumbled, irritably, as he threw back a corner of the covers, inviting her beneath them.

He could practically feel her smiling – or maybe it was the easing shift of her weight on his hip. A thump signified her shoes being kicked to the floor, and then her body was snuggling warmly beside him. "I almost missed you this week." She murmured, refusing to be completely agreeable.

He sighed, deciding it best _not _to justify the statement.

"Hey – have you seen Sakura lately?"

"I saw her yesterday." He mumbled, eyes unopened.

"Do you think she looks different?"

"She's pregnant."

"_What?_" the blonde sat up suddenly, leaning on her hand to look down at him. "Why didn't she tell me at breakfast this morning?"

"She hasn't told anyone."

"Then how do you – oh." She rolled her eyes, cuddling down into the bed and against him again. "Mr. Genius, huh?"

"It's not that hard to figure out." His arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer. "She's obviously thin, but her stomach is protruding. Besides that, her eating habits have been disgusting."

"Don't tell me – pickles dipped in chocolate?"

"Ranch dressing."

"… Ew."

"Got that right."

0

"TenTen," Lee laid back on her bed, staring at the ceiling, which had a poster of Mia Hamm tacked to it. "Do you think Sakura-san cares about me?"

"Of course she does." The dark-haired girl's brow furrowed in concentration as she struggled to juggle a soccer ball on her knees. "Why would she be dating you if she didn't?"

He shrugged. "She's very detached."

"That's just how Sakura is." The thump of the ball was muffled by the carpet, and the bed creaked as she sat down beside him. "I think the only person she's even _willing _to be open with is Ino – and I don't think she even uses that privilege."

Dark eyes looked up at her. "But I'm open with her."

"Good. Maybe she'll return the favor." TenTen glanced at the clock, hopping to her feet as she twirled her pigtails into buns on her head. "Come on – we're going to be late."

0

"Hi, guys!" Naruto grinned, half-standing to wave them over to the three tables they'd pushed together in the restaurant to accommodate the group of fourteen.

Lee returned the wave. "Naruto-kun! Sasuke-kun! How are you both?"

The enthusiastic blonde boy captured him in a hug before he could initiate it himself. "I'm great – Sasuke is … well, Sasuke."

Sasuke just glared at him, although the fearsomeness he was hoping to radiate was deterred by the adoration apparent in his gaze.

TenTen stood on her toes to see over Lee's shoulder. "You're the first ones here. That's unusual."

"We're only ever late because dobe always takes forever to get ready." The Uchiha commented, rolling his eyes.

"You don't _have _to pick me up, teme." Naruto spun on him, hands on hips.

Lee smiled at them. _Banter – I'm glad to see they're back to normal. _

Everything was a little on edge after Sasuke ran off to California, claiming they were all better off without him anyway. They followed – unintentionally – having gone on a road trip that landed them in LA. In the end, they'd left without him but, a year later, he'd reappeared in Konoha and things had been the semi-usual since then.

"What – is this the apocalypse?" Inuzuka Kiba grinned, flopping into a chair opposite his blonde friend. "You guys are _never _on time."

Sasuke just pointed at Naruto, who growled vaguely.

Aburame Shino didn't say anything, per usual, but took a seat beside Kiba, draping his arm across the back of his boyfriend's chair.

"Didn't try to smuggle Akamaru in this time?" Naruto grinned.

Kiba scowled. "Okay – I'm already banned from IHOP for life, you don't have to rub it in my face."

"Five minutes, and you're already arguing." Ino clicked her tongue, shaking her head as she walked in, fingers laced with Gaara's.

Sakura found her way to Lee's side, slipping her hand into his and blushing slightly when Sasuke glanced carelessly at her.

Kankurou slumped down in the seat on the other side of Kiba. "You guys are like cats and dogs – seriously."

Naruto snickered at the pun.

"_Shut up, Naruto!_"

"There's Shikamaru and Temari – Hey! Over here!" Ino waved her free arm frantically.

They slowly made their way to the group, followed by the ever-inconspicuous Hinata and the already-eating Chouji.

She, of course, couldn't avoid interaction – considering who her best friend was. Kiba jumped up, enveloping her in a hug and kissing her affectionately on the cheek. Smiling as he released her, she leaned over to pass the sentiment onto Shino. They wouldn't hear of her sitting anywhere but in-between them, and Sakura noted it was the first time she'd seen her really smile in weeks.

_It's too bad Neji-san didn't follow Lee and TenTen's lead and go to school near home. _She thought pityingly. _Hinata-chan would be so much better off._

Sakura wondered vaguely if she herself would be better off if Lee was far away – she still didn't know what was going to happen.


	3. Talk Over Coffee For An Hour Or Two

Note from the Author: o.O The subplots are already coming out. Why is that? Because I'm still obsessed with NejiHina.

**Baka Kunoichi: **… What can I say? I don't really like her that much. Other than that – if you don't like my pairings – I suggest you don't read the story.

**PIE IS FILLED WITH AWESOMENESS: **I'm doing my best on the updating front, dearie.

**Book-manga-freak: **Yay! I'm glad you're back. Don't know what I would have done if you weren't. o.O And I know I don't accept anonymous reviews. I prefer that if people are going to be an asshole to me, they do it with a name. :shrug: And it's easier to be intelligently-sarcastic when I can reply to them. -.- Other than, what shall I say? Um … I'm anti-Sakura? Haha.

**DemonRogue: **I feel bad for Lee too. I'm going to make him suffer and he's one of my favorite characters:cries:

**BankotsusChick: **I'm so glad all my favorite reviewers are back:hugs:

**Conafrex: **I love when people make guesses at where the plots heading – sometimes they're really close. And you're really sweet, honey. And I think Itachi's kind of sexy in a I-killed-my-whole-family-just-to-prove-I-could kind of way. o.O

**Einzazmunster: **No, Sasuke seems like the kind of person to let her suffer slowly and alone – and, of course, bring it up with her whenever she makes a move on him. Haha. She's very selfish indeed – and I know many people like her, and that makes me sad inside. -.- I'm kind of looking forward to school so I can see these people and take notes.

**Sambers: **_First _of all – _new reviewer! _:waves new reviewer flag and hugs you: Secondly, yes, I was hoping it would be pretty obvious. THIRD, they're in their senior year of high school. I think I randomly hinted at that somewhere. :shrug:

**Porny: **May I ask you what I would ever do without you?

**Sasukelover911: **Have I told you lately that I love you?

**Anutheal: **I'm glad you enjoy my Shikamaru-is-a-genius humor.

_**Talk over coffee for an hour or two.**_

_Are they beginning to notice?_

"Sakura-san, are you alright?" Lee's brow furrowed as he leant across the table toward her, inspecting her face carefully. "You look a little sick."

She forced a smile, sipping at her latte and smoothing a hand over the inconspicuous bulge of her stomach. "I'm just tired. I was up late working on an essay for my lit class."

He frowned, letting his hand fall upon hers. "Kakashi-sensei seems to have upped the workload since last year – I don't remember an essay this early on in the year."

She shook her head. "It was Naruto's fault – he said something about how the class was so easy, he was going to ace it for sure. And Kakashi-sensei decided to put him to the test."

Lee laughed. "That sounds like Naruto-kun. He's always causing trouble for others."

"It's not like he even really has to do it himself." She mumbled bitterly. "He probably_ will_ ace the class – and it's just because he's got Sasuke-kun helping him."

"Naruto-kun doesn't seem like the type to let someone help him."

"Sasuke-kun won't take no for an answer." She grimaced as her tongue became acquainted with the already-cooling liquid near the bottom of the cup, and she let the mug clink onto the tabletop unfinished. "I think he wants to make up for everything he put Naruto through."

Lee shrugged. "That doesn't seem like Sasuke-kun at all."

She chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "No, it really doesn't." Her hair fell before her face as her head bent. "Naruto's changed him a lot."

"It's a good thing."

"Yeah," she sighed, tucking a few pink strands behind her ear. "I guess it is."

0

Hinata buried her face into her pillow, letting her finished homework slip from her bedspread to the floor.

She had been studying for two hours, and the relief that she was finally done rang through her. Since Neji had left, she had thrown herself into academia, determined to show everyone that she could be worth something on her own – she only vaguely admitted to herself that she was trying to keep herself from missing him.

Kiba and Shino were – as always – great company, but it was more than a little awkward to be in the company of both of them now that they were dating. And, of course, she was no one of four people in their group that had nobody to "pair up" with. It wasn't that she was bitter – just lonely. She had never _really _fit into their eclectic circle of confident, boisterous people. Neji had made her feel like she belonged somewhere.

She forced herself not to hold it against him. He was attending one of the top three universities in the country, and he deserved to be there – he _was _valedictorian of his class, after all – but every so often, she found the wish whispering into her mind that he had chosen a good college close to home, like Lee and Temari had to be close to the ones they loved. It made her wonder just how important she really was to Neji – if he was really willing to do anything for her like he'd always promised.

She sighed heavily, lacing her fingers on the back of her head to force her eyes deeper against the pillow, hoping the pressure would keep her tears at bay.

0

"You're going to have to tell the rest of the group." Ino commented, tucking her books under her chin as she and her best friend walked to school. "At _least _Lee."

Sakura stretched, her hand on her lower back. It was Friday, and her spine was becoming increasingly sore as her posture shifted to accommodate the growing child within her. "I already told my mom." She murmured.

"Really? How'd she take it?"

She grimaced. "She wasn't happy." A sigh shuddered through her as she rubbed her stomach. "But I told her the baby was Lee-san's."

Ino halted in her steps, staring at her. "That wasn't fair, Sakura." Her tone was harsher than she had intended. "You haven't even _told _Lee yet."

"How do you go about telling your boyfriend that you cheated on him and are having another guy's baby?" the pink-haired girl snapped irritably.

"I really hope I'm misinterpreting this conversation." Gaara's voice didn't reflect the feeling he spoke of.

Ino smiled brightly at him, laying a kiss on his jaw. "Yes. Misinterpretations."

His eyebrow lifted at the other girl, who was looking embarrassedly away from the display of affection. "I take it we're talking about you, then?"

The blonde bit her lip, kicking herself. _Lee is Gaara's best friend._

But "Please don't tell Lee-san" was all Sakura murmured, clutching the strap of her backpack, eyes averted.

The redhead just shrugged and turned away with Ino on his arm. "He wouldn't believe me anyway." His tone screamed of boredom. "He adores you." There was a pause before he added, "Although I am having trouble seeing why."

0

"Lee!" TenTen pounded up the stairs to slam her fist against the door again. "Lee – I have a class at ten-thirty – if we don't leave now, I'm going to miss it!"

Lee didn't have his own car, so TenTen drove him home and back to school over the weekends. But somehow, he spent more time on his hair than she did on hers – and his _still _looked very odd.

"I'm coming, TenTen!" The door burst open, and she got an eyeful of blinding teeth. "I'm ready!"

She sighed, rolling her eyes fondly. "Come on."

As they were buckling into her VW Bug, she adjusted her rearview mirrors – cursing about how they always seemed off even though she was the only one that drove the car – and commented, "Hey, Lee – I heard a really weird rumor."

"Yeah?" he was only half listening to her – he didn't care much for rumors.

"Yeah," she said slowly, as she pulled out of her neighborhood. "It was about Sakura."

Now she had his full attention. "Was it bad? Why would anyone say something bad about Sakura-san?"

TenTen chose to cut him off before he started ranting. "I heard she was pregnant."

He blinked at her, brow furrowed, blush lighting across his cheekbones. "But we've never … gone that far."

The dark-haired girl shrugged, getting on the acceleration ramp to the Dan Ryan. "Then it probably was nothing more than a rumor, huh?"


	4. She Wonders Why I'm Always In A Good Moo

**Baka Kunoichi: **If you want to read it, I'd be glad to have you. And I promise, nothing particularly graphic happens in my stories, so yeah. It will probably remain mostly LeeSaku and NejiHina, because they're my pairings of the moment. -.-

**DemonRogue: **I'm torn between a Sasuke freak-out scene and a Sasuke "Why am I not surprised?" scene. -.-

**Sambers: **Oh, dear – I'm sorry! I didn't even consider that you might not be American. Yes, senior is seventeen and eighteen – and, judging from whatever their ages were in the show, they'll follow that. (For example, Sasuke's eighteen, Gaara's seventeen, etc.)

**Furuido: **I like my GaaIno:flails: And I'm glad you think Gaara's in character. I have so much trouble with that fucker. -.-

**InvaderWeb: **I shall keep updating indeed!

**Sasukelover911: **I shall!

**Book-manga-freak: **… I think it's because I like Lee. It's just like "Catch Without Arms." I fucking _hate _Sasuke – so _why _was I writing a NaruSasu? I don't understand myself at all. -.-

'**A'lusy: **_New reviewer! _:cookies:

_**She wonders why I'm always in a good mood.**_

Surprising Lee was easy. He wasn't an idiot – but he was less than observant. Things most noticed immediately escaped Lee's consciousness.

TenTen had known him her entire life. She had always assumed that lack of awareness was by choice – that he'd _rather _not know what was going on. She figured that happy façade – oh, yes, it _was _a façade – was easier to keep up when he didn't know everything.

So she was sure he had already heard the rumor circulating that Sakura was pregnant – or had noticed her swollen stomach himself – and had decided to disregard it as speculation. He had always only trusted facts from the primary source.

TenTen assumed that it was also partially his need to see the very best in everyone. He believed in and loved every person he considered his friend – many of those relationships were one-sided – and she had no doubt he would defend the reputations of every one of them with his whole being.

As often as he was shocked by the vices of his beloveds, it killed her – and made her want to kill _them _– when that disappointed look twisted his face. So now, her hand held tightly to his, fingers laced in a silent comfort that comes with familiarity, as he listened – _heart-broken – _to his girlfriend over the phone. (It seemed it had only been moments since a smile had lighted on his face at the sight of her name on the caller ID.)

"But who-?" His voice was hurt. "I see."

"Let me talk to her." His best friend murmured, hand extended for the phone.

His head shook only slightly, eyes averted in – what was that? Shame?

_He is _not _thinking this is his fault. _She grabbed for the cell, leaping away from him before he could snatch it. "You have a lot of nerve, you little slut."

"Ten-chan," Sakura's tired tone was dripping with regret. "Please put Lee-san back on."

"Why? So you can keep hurting him?"

He reclaimed the phone before the younger girl could answer. "Sorry, Sakura-san."

TenTen's eyes rolled in disbelief. "_She _cheated on _you_, and _you're _apologizing?" Her arms tossed into the air, and she stormed from the dorm room. "I give up!"

She wasn't really angry with him. She just couldn't handle sometimes how nice and so damned _forgiving _he was. It drove her crazy. She slammed into her own building, frightening a girl sitting in the lounge, and stalked angrily to her room, throwing herself on her bed to fume.

She rarely let things get to her – she was a pretty chilled-out person because Lee was spastic enough for both of them – but Lee _himself _had the power to rile her up. Of course, he was also her only real friend, so she had nobody to rant at about it.

Even so, she picked up her cell, scrolling through her phonebook absently and finally settling on a number and calling it.

"Allo?" Temari often answered in French; she said it confused people she didn't want to talk to.

TenTen disregarded the fact that she was on Temari's contact list and she therefore _knew _it was her, and said, "Pourquoi les garçons sont-ils si stupides?" _Why are boys so stupid?_

"I don't know – I'm dating a boy with an IQ over 200." Temari murmured disinterestedly.

"Sakura cheated on Lee."

"I figured."

TenTen blinked. "You knew?"

"Genius boyfriend."

"Right."

"Lee doesn't seem like the type to irresponsibly get a girl pregnant anyway." Temari's voice strained with what was most likely a stretch. "So I figured she went to someone else. Any idea who?"

"If I wasn't completely convinced Sasuke was gay, I'd say him." Talking to the blonde girl always relaxed TenTen somehow, and she eased back against the pillows. "She's been after him since sixth grade."

The was a "hun" from the other end of the line. "Believe me – Lee's the only one that hasn't noticed."

0

Sakura's fingernails clunked against her bedroom window. _It should be raining. _"I wish there was something I could say besides 'I'm sorry.'" She whispered, backing out of the sunshine that seemed so inappropriate. _I shouldn't have done this over the phone – I'm such a coward._

She could practically see his nonchalant shrug. "It's alright, Sakura-san. We're going to get through this." Hesitance. "If you want to get through this."

"Of course I do." _I'm lying. I'm lying to the nicest boy on Earth – the boy who least deserves to be lied to._

His smile was apparent in his voice. "The we will." An obnoxious beep cut through his sentence. "My phone is dying."

"Then I'll let you go." She let a sorry fondness slide across her tone. "I'll talk to you later."

0

"Sasuke?" Naruto waved a hand in front of his face, head tilted to the side. "You okay? You look a little green."

"I've been better." The Uchiha muttered moodily, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just informed of about the sickest thing ever."

Naruto waited for a moment, then sighed exasperatedly when he didn't elaborate. "And that would _be_?"

"Sakura is pregnant."

The blonde boy's jaw dropped. "_Pregnant?_" he squeaked, arms flailing. "She can't have done _that _with Lee – that's just weird – I mean, have you _seen _the kid's eyebrows?"

"Dobe." Sasuke cut him off sharply, grabbing his hand to keep him still. "It's not Lee's kid."

Naruto's brow furrowed initially at the nickname, then deeper at the statement. "I thought Lee and Sakura were dating. Who's kid is it if not his?"

The already-pale boy seemed to blanch further. "My brother's."

0

"I really wish I was home more often." Temari muttered, smiling at the fan that she'd just gotten in the mail to add to her collection.

"Yeah, well," Shikamaru's voice was hollow with distance. "It never gets boring here, and at least that's good enough for me."

"It's not a game to you, is it, Mr. Genius?"

"Oh, it is." His tone rang with boredom, only slightly irritated at her pet name for him. "I like to try to figure out what's going on with who before I'm actually informed. Our group is like some kind of strange – I don't know – cult or something. The higher-ups always know what's going on first."

She chuckled. "And who might the higher ups be?"

"Naruto and Hinata. They know everything that goes on before anyone else." He paused. "Although it seems they were both completely oblivious to these latest developments."

"How's Lee taking the news anyway?"

"I guess he's decided to raise the baby as his own."

There was a silence in which she stared at the phone in disbelief. "What a dumbfuck. If you ever ended up having a baby with another girl, I sure as hell wouldn't be saying, 'It's okay; give it to me.'"

"Yeah, well – we all know just how sensitive and understanding you are."

She snorted. "What's there to understand about someone fucking someone other than whoever they're with and having their kid? Oh, thanks for the fan, by the way – it's beautiful."

0

Additional A/N: Why French? Because I love it. I would whore myself out to France.


	5. Killing Time Before She Struts Her Stuff

Note from the Author: At _least _two things that happen in this chapter are reflections of real life.

**DemonRogue: **Hinata reaction featured in this chapter! … Naruto didn't really react, did he? Let's assume he spazzed.

**Einzazmunster: **(Your entire review made me laugh.) You know, I didn't really think about it, but Neji _is _kind of becoming the Mr. Fix-It. o.O What's up with that? And I was debating giving the baby pink hair … but I'm thinking it'll be black. I haven't quite decided yet. Yeah, Uncle Sasuke – kind of a freaky thought.

**Misty's-mystic-rose: **Either you read Einzazmunster's review or you're running on the same wavelength – but yeah … the same thought about the pink hair. Haha. And _welcome! _I love new reviewers.

**Book-manga-freak: **Haha. Thank you – I try my best to keep my characters _in _character (although Neji has decided he wants to be OOC. -.-) and I'm glad you think I write Sasuke well even though I hate him with all the passion that's in me.

… And that's a lot of passion.

'**A'lusy: **Oh, God – I know. I've actually been in the situation – I did what TenTen did … only, you know, I fumed and yelled a lot. And you're welcome for the cookie.

**Sasukelover911: **Yay for France:waves French flag:

**Anutheal: **_Naruto's not an idiot! _:flails:

_**Killing time before she struts her stuff …**_

Sakura hated hair dye. The smell made her eyes water and her nostrils sting and no matter _how _long she spent rinsing it, the color still ran with the water. She sighed, smoothie-pink strands sticking to her eyelids, pushing by the hot wind of her blow dryer.

She had always liked the lemonade tint (Naruto had always said it looked like bubblegum) and it had been that color for as long as she could remember – she couldn't actually recall anymore what her natural color had been. But the flamboyant style didn't seem as appealing or fun now. She felt the need to blend in, to hide away. (It might have been because she needed to borrow some clothes from Chouji because hers didn't fit anymore.)

She adjusted a black band to her head and smiled grimly at her reflection. She was happy – or at least less _guilty _– that she'd told Lee and – somehow – that it was going to work out alright. _He'll be a better father than Itachi ever could be. _

Some members of the group knew already – and those people knew what _really _had happened – and the others would be told a discretional version of the story, because Lee didn't want anyone thinking badly of her.

"I don't hold anything against you, so I don't want them to." He had said last night before he'd gone back to school – before embracing her as if nothing had happened.

0

"_We've got a dirty flame!_"

The crash of shattering glass accentuated the abrupt shriek, and Yuuhi Kurenai bustled toward the shaken Hinata, lightly chiding her for dropping another test tube.

"If Ino could keep her jaw shut, Hinata wouldn't keep breaking them!" Kiba protested the chastisement huffily. "And no one cares, Ino, about the fact that you're a dir-"

"Don't even finish the sentence." Their teacher sighed, carefully wiping the shards from the tabletop into the garbage can, smiling comfortingly at the still-apologizing Hyuuga. "Here – Shino, you do the testing."

"Why can't I do it?"

"Because _you_, Kiba, won't _drop _the test tube – you will _throw _the test tube." Her arms crossed over her chest. "_Or _you'll somehow mix something poisonous, dare Naruto to drink it, and I will have a kid in the ER."

"_Why do you assume I'd drink it?_" The blonde boy jumped to his feet, arms flailing indignantly.

"Sit down, dobe." Sasuke tugged him onto his stool by his jacket.

He scowled, shoving a wad of paper down the back of his boyfriend's shirt, getting it far enough in that he couldn't reach in to pull it out.

Sakura smiled slightly, measuring a gram of salt into the test tube in her hand. Chemistry was her favorite class – and that was mostly because ten of her best friends – the ones that were still in school – all had the same hour and teacher.

"Here, Hinata." She adjusted her goggles, holding out a bottle for her quiet friend. She didn't know how they'd managed to get put in the same group – Sakura was almost always with Naruto, Sasuke, and Ino – but it was a nice change to have someone actually _trying._

The dark-haired girl offered a weak smile, reading over the lab paper again. "It says three drops." An unsure hand counted it into the tube Sakura held steady. "There."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she studied it. "Hm. No reaction."

"Sakura-_chan_!"

She rolled her eyes, looking over her shoulder. "What is it, Naruto?"

"Why aren't you -?" The end of his question was muffled by that same troublesome wad of paper, which had conveniently found its way from Sasuke's hand to Naruto's mouth.

She frowned, turning away from the violent flirting.

"Why _aren't _you working with them?" When she looked at her, Hinata's eyes were averted.

"Sasuke-kun is mad at me." She murmured, fingers spreading over her stomach wearily.

"Why?"

_Because I'm having his brother's baby. _"Because I told him he could do better than Naruto."

"You're lying."

Her head shot up.

Hinata was writing in a small, neat print across the clean lines of her paper. Sakura almost thought she'd imagined the statement, but the girl softly said, "It's because you're pregnant."

She hated that her hand found its way to her belly whenever that word was said. "How did you know?" she whispered.

"I didn't."

She mentally kicked herself. _Oh, well. I was going to tell her anyway._

When Hinata spoke again, her voice was so soft she barely caught it, "It's not Lee-kun's."

Damn it – she hated the Hyuugas sometimes. "No, it's not," she admitted grudgingly, wondering when her friend had learned to speak so clearly and confidently.

White eyes lifted to her face. "That's why Sasuke-kun is angry?"

Sakura sighed, leaning toward her to confess in her ear.

When she pulled back, Hinata seemed less than surprised. "It's a secret?"

0

An angry foot connected with the bumper of a VW van. "You _asshole_!" An outraged voice screamed at the smoking vehicle where it sat on the side of the interstate. "I was supposed to fucking be _home _by now!"

It just sat there, the front curling like it was smirking.

0

Additional A/N: The first life reflection deal: I dyed my hair last night. :is happy: The second – my lab part _screamed _something about a dirty flame today and I was nervous and holding something glass and almost broke it. -.- I know my chapters are kind of short lately – but that's only because if I only upload long ones, you wouldn't hear from me for weeks at a time, because I don't _have _any time to write them.


	6. She Needs Support And I'll Become The Cr

'**A'lusy: **Lee kind of drives me crazy, because he always seems like that kind of "It's okay – I understand" kind of person. I'm doing the best I can to update as fast as I can.

**DemonRogue: **Those who read "Catch Without Arms" should know. :shifty eyes:

**Einzazmunster: **Neji's my favorite character to write because he's so much like me – when people around me are going through tough times, I get grumpy and irritable and kind of tactless. Haha. Actually, I'm kind of tactless anyway, but whatever. :shrug: And I like Lee. He is cute. And I want everyone to think Lee is cute. :waves Lee flag:

**Book-manga-freak: **o.O Your enthusiasm intrigues me and makes me very happy. :huuuuuuugs:

**Anutheal: **The last … part – what? And you need to update your profile – because I'm not "ReadySteadyTetsu" anymore.

… _**she needs support, and I'll become the crutch.**_

"Can you believe it's September already?" Ino snuggled into Gaara's jacket, tucked under his arm. "It feels like summer started last week."

"Kind of feels like life is flying away." Naruto murmured, leaning back in his chair.

Shino slapped his foot off the edge of the table. "I have to clean those, you know."

The group had gathered in the diner where Shino, Kiba, and Hinata – as well as Neji, Lee, and TenTen during the summer – worked. Kurenai, who doubled as the manager and cook (Maito Gai, their P.E. teacher, was the owner), leaned on the counter. "You guys scare away business."

"I'd think our good looks would bring people in." Kiba joked.

"Kiba, why are you here? Who comes to work when they don't have to?"

He tugged lightly on Shino's hand in a signifying display of adoration. "He's here, and Hinata's here – so that means Kiba's here."

A slight affectionate smile slipped to and from Shino's face before he shifted to return to busing tables.

Sakura sighed contentedly, resting against the wall. This was all so _normal _– for them anyway. They got together as a whole at least twice a week, just for the sake of being together because they didn't know how much time they had left. She knew that the colleges everyone was looking at were far between. She herself wouldn't be leaving Konoha – especially with a baby on the way. She figured she'd get certified as a nurse at a community college and go from there.

She felt sorry for Naruto, because, of them all – and though no one but her could tell – he was more worried about losing everyone than anyone else. Sasuke was as good as accepted at Princeton, and she didn't know what they'd ever do without each other – the year Sasuke had been gone had been complete hell for her best friend.

She frowned. It made her angry that she was still jealous of Naruto. She'd loved Sasuke her whole life, and somehow he had bypassed her and been swept up by _him. _She wished she could be happy for them – and for herself, because she had a boy that was so good to her, and she couldn't even seem to _appreciate _him.

She had tried to promise herself she'd be as faithful to him as he was to her – but she'd realized it would be a lie.

0

Tsunade stepped off the bus, breathing deeply. "Konoha!" she cried, throwing her arms wide.

Shizune smiled nervously, hopping down after her. "Tsunade-sama, are there even hotels in this town?"

A manicured hand waved dismissively. "We'll find a place. Right now – _food_!"

Shizune sighed, hitching her pack up on her shoulder and scurrying after her friend.

Tsunade had been Sasuke's doctor in California when he'd tried to kill himself and had ended up in the hospital. She'd grown attached to – or worried for – Naruto, who she had somehow adopted as her little brother when he visited his boyfriend. She hadn't seen either of them in over a year – she didn't know what had happened to them, and only vaguely allowed herself to wonder if they were alive.

"Tsunade-sama, there's a diner." Shizune's slim finger pointed toward the rundown but clean building. "We can eat cheap there, which is good since most of our money … is … gone." She smiled sheepishly beneath the psychiatrist's death glare.

0

"Sakura-chan, will you help me with this?" Hinata was taking her break to work on her Calculus homework, perched on the edge of her chair in case one of her more manic friends broke something and she needed to take care of it.

Her pink-haired friend leaned as far forward as she could, brow pinched, only to smile and lean back again. "Hina-chan, you're smarter than you give yourself credit for. You can do that one – I know you can."

The brunette blushed, nodding, and frowned in concentration, the tip of her pencil carefully marking down characters as if she was unsure they were correct. When she was through, she held it up for approval.

Sakura applauded lightly. "Well-done. That's right."

Hinata beamed and returned to her paper with renewed confidence.

Kiba read it upside down, head on his folded arms on the table. "Jeez, Hinata – I can't believe you bothered to take a fourth year math class. It's such a waste of time."

"You use math all your life, Kiba-kun." She smiled fondly at him. "Besides, I want to have as many credits as I can get – I want to go to a good college."

"Looking at Harvard, Hinata?" Naruto grinned.

Her face flushed further. "I don't think I could get into Harvard."

"Sure you could." Kiba encouraged. "You've got a really high GPA – you could get in almost anywhere."

"It's hard to get into Harvard if you're a girl." Ino commented, forever the cynic.

Sakura threw a French fry at her warningly.

"Hey!" Kurenai barked. "No food fights in my diner."

"It's not your diner." They collectively said, as if it was the usual.

She just smirked.

Sakura's cell phone vibrated annoyingly against her arm, and she picked it up from the table, smiling at it before answering it. "Hi, Lee-san."

"Sakura-san! How are you?"

"I'm fine. The gang's gathered at the diner."

A round of shouted "Hi, Lee!"s came from the group.

Sakura put the cell on the table. "You're on speaker, Lee-san."

"Hey, everyone!" He yelled unnecessarily.

"Jesus, Lee – tone it down." Kiba rubbed at his ear.

"Sorry!"

"How's this week at college?"

"Was that Naruto-kun? Hi! The week was great! I found a new jacket that matches my jumpsuit!"

Everyone groaned, but Sakura smiled. "That's great, Lee-san."

"You think so? Because I found some shoes too –"

"Don't overdo it, Lee-san." She laughed.

"Hey!" Naruto jumped to his feet, pointing toward the door that just opened. "Tsunade obaa-chan!"

The woman blinked at him, realized who it was, and smiled. "Naruto-kun!" Her eyes widened at the boy sitting next to him. "… And Sasuke. You _did _come back."

He didn't answer, but inclined his head slightly.

"What's going on, Sakura-san?"

She blinked at her phone, remembering Lee was on it. "I'm sorry, Lee-san. Can I call you back later?"

"Sure! Have a good night, everyone!"

Enthusiastic goodbyes, and Sakura hung up.

0

The ringing ended abruptly and was replaced with Lee's sleepy voice. "Hello?"

"I'm sorry, Lee-san – did I wake you?"

"Not at all, Sakura-san!" His tone brightened as he took in who it was. "What happened earlier?"

"Oh, do you remember Sasuke-kun's doctor – the one I told you about? She came to Konoha (to check on Naruto apparently)."

"Really? That's interesting – she must really be fond of him."

"I guess so." Her legs crossed on her bedspread as she leaned back against her headboard. "She was so happy to see Sasuke-kun was back, but she didn't seem particularly surprised. She probably figured they couldn't live without each other." The bitter edge in her voice didn't quite hide itself.

"Are you jealous of them, Sakura-san?"

Her breath hitched. _When did he become so observant? He's never picked up on that before! _"Of course not, Lee-san," she lied quietly. "I'm happy for them both."

"Are you sure?" He sounded so desperate, like he _needed _her to be satisfied with just him.

"Lee-san, I'm sure." Her tone was decidedly sadder – as if she wasn't sure, not at all. "I think I'm just a little weirded out by it still. I grew up with these two – they've been my best friends forever – and suddenly they're dating? It's just strange."

"Sakura-san, are you sure it's not because you're in love with Sasuke-kun?"

Her silence wasn't nearly brief enough, but she finally managed to whisper, "I'm positive."

0

Additional A/N: o.O I just couldn't keep Tsunade away! And besides that, Furuido wanted her present – and she's my sister. And I have to live with her. Which means I need to make her as happy as possible.


	7. She'll Never Know How Much She Means To

Note from the Author: … Something clever?

_**She'll never know how much she means to me.**_

"TenTen?"

The end of her pen tapped absently on her chemistry homework as her brown eyes lifted. "What is it?"

The forlorn lying on his back on her bed – staying the night in her dorm _again _– let his head fall to look at her. "You think Sakura-san knows I love her?"

TenTen had tensed visibly, punching numbers into her calculator like she was stabbing needles into the girl's heart, when he spoke her name. "I don't know, Lee."

"Do you think she loves me?"

A silence broken by cursive scribbling. Then: "No."

He shifted, rolled to his side, nesting his head on his elbow. "What do you think I could do to get her to love me?"

The plastic pen cracked in her grip, and she swore.

"You think if I change myself a little, she'd love me?" he continued as if nothing had happened. "Or maybe I should act a little more like Sasuke-kun. She seems to like hi-ow!" His hand flew to his forehead, confusion mingling with the hurt in his dark eyes.

"She up, Lee." She murmured, chucking into the garbage can the half of the pen she hadn't thrown like a dart at her best friend's head. Sighing wearily, she crawled onto the bed beside him, pulling him into her arms in a comforting way that had become familiar to them. "You're perfect just like you are, you know?" she went on, stroking his hair. "If Sakura can't see how great you are, is she really even worth it?"

He sighed into her embrace, head against her shoulder. "I think she is."

The clock ticked loudly in the pensive quiet that followed, counting off all the things TenTen should have said, but didn't.

0

"Algebra's a _bitch._" Ino moaned, defiantly throwing her textbook onto her bed.

Sakura smiled, looking up from her English literature book. "That's what you get for putting it off a year."

"I didn't put it off!" The irate blonde snapped. "If I had known I needed three math credits to graduate, I _would _have taken it last year – I wasn't going to take the damn class at all!" she fumed, arms folded huffily across her chest.

Hinata, from her quiet place on the floor, giggled. "I can help you if you want."

"No, it's fine." She pouted. "I just don't want to do it."

Sakura sighed, leaning back, her book propped on her stomach. "Then don't."

"I have to!" she flailed. "I have to go to college – I have to get out of this place!"

0

"Hey, Shino." Kiba shook him gently by the shoulder to wake him.

An eye cracked in acknowledgment, not hidden – for once – behind dark glasses.

He propped himself up on his arms, lying on his stomach, the blankets of his bed pooled around his waist. "What do you think of this whole pregnant-Sakura thing?"

He was met with a silence that read, _It's none of my business._

"Aren't you just a little curious?" His face nuzzled into his boyfriend's hair.

"No."

He groaned, flipping onto his side. "You're hopeless."

Having Kiba's back to him apparently displeased Shino, as he rolled over to pull him against him. "It's odd that Lee was so careless." He offered haltingly, as if he really _hadn't _thought about it at all.

Kiba shifted to snuggle happily into his arms, as if all he really wanted was to talk with the boy he loved. "It weirds me out to think they've had sex."

Another pause before "It is a strange thought."

"You know, Hinata won't talk to me about it at all – she always changes the subject."

Shino's "Hm" translated as _That means something's up._

"What do you think is going on?"

His shoulders lifted in a shrug. _I don't know, but Hinata does._

As Kiba opened his mouth, his sister Hana slammed into the room. "Hey, you guys have been shut up in here for, like, four hours. It's seven o'clock – Shino's dad wants him home." A soapy dog dashed past, and she went yelling after it.

"Stupid nee-chan," he scowled, then immediately clung to Shino, who had untangled himself from the sheets to stand. "Hey, wait a second."

The stoic boy adjusted his glasses to his face, turning to look at his pouting boyfriend. "We'll talk to Hinata tomorrow."

"That's not it." He crawled to his knees, wrapping his arms around him. "When did you stop saying goodbye, huh?"

The corner of his lips quirked up, and he leaned down to kiss him.

0

"Hello?" Sasuke was less than pleased that his phone was ringing – why did he even have a phone?

_Because Naruto calls._

Oh, yeah.

"Hey."

His mood soured further. "Why are you calling me?" And where the fuck are you – the caller ID said 'Pennsylvania call.' What are you in Pennsylvania?"

"I was on my way home for Labor Day weekend."

"Labor Day weekend ended yesterday."

"I'm _aware _of that. My car broke down. And of course, conveniently, my cell phone died at almost the same time."

"So where are you now?"

"I had to pay someone to give me a ride to a gas station – he took every penny I had. I'm calling collect."

"Great." His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "And why are you calling _me_? Why not call somebody who actually gives a shit?"

A growl came over the line. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

He almost laughed. "You? You were actually trying to do something romantic? That is so fucking out of _character._"

"Fuck you, Uchiha."

"Now that's not the way to talk to your lifesaver."

"You know what – forget it. I'll call Shino. He's not a complete asshole." There was a rustling like the receiver was being taken away from an ear.

"Wait!" Sasuke surprised himself by yelling it out. "I'll come pick you up."

There was surprised pause. "Thank you."

0

Additional A/N: o.O Short Chapters 'R' Us.


	8. I'd Play The Game But I'm The Referee

Note from the Author: Once again, real life reflections.

Subplots 'R' Us!

**Book-manga-freak: **Oh, Sasuke knows – and he's not one bit happy. My faithful reviewer indeed:huggles:

'**A'lusy: **… You know, I'm being exceptionally nice to TenTen, considering I hate her. -.- Actually, we made the five main teams into Sims characters and Temari and TenTen got into a bitch fight and Temari made her cry. And I laughed. And had her do it again. o.O

**DemonRogue: **I've always thought Lee's a little naïve, but aware. :shrug: That's why he kind of asked Sakura how she feels.

**Einzazmunster: **I actually read that review to my sister because it was just so kick-ass.

**Furuido: **Damn straight you'll update your profile. Yeah, I'll get everyone clued in soon. I think most everyone knows – the only ones still out of the loop are Kanky, Chouji, Shikamaru, and ShinoKiba … and Neji. But he doesn't count. o.O (And the spell check's suggestion for "Kanky" was "Kinky.") And I totally put something subtle in here just for you, and I hope you catch it.

_**I'd play the game, but I'm the referee. **_

The crack of glass shattering, and the lab fell silent.

"_Why,_" Kurenai demanded, "do you insist on giving Hinata the test tube?"

"It wasn't me!" the distraught girl cried.

"Sorry, Kurenai-sensei," Sakura said quietly, standing, shards falling from her lap with a wind chime _clink _to the linoleum floor.

The teacher blinked at her. "Sakura, I'm surprised."

She bowed her head. "Sorry – I wasn't paying close enough attention."

Of course she wasn't. she hadn't been paying attention for days. How could she be expected to when she was in love with one of her lab partners, and he was completely disgusted with her? (Today he was conspicuously absent.)

She disgusted herself, too – for sleeping with Itachi in the first place, yes – but more for wanting so much for Sasuke to love her. She had a great boy who _did _care for her and take care of her, but all she wanted was for this brooding boy – who wasn't even interested in _girls _– to fall in love with her.

"Sakura-chan, are you okay?" Naruto's concern made her feel ill.

She wanted to say "No." She wanted to tell him she wanted the boy he loved, and that she was sorry. But instead, she smiled and whispered, "I'm fine."

"Naruto!" Kiba barked suddenly. "Where's your boy toy?"

Blue eyes flitted to Hinata, who blinked at him confusedly, and back to Kiba as he grinned. "Can't tell you – it's a surprise!"

0

"Gotcha!" Kiba pounced on his best friend, lifting her clear off her feet.

Hinata shrieked, clinging to his shoulders. "Kiba-kun! Please put me down!"

He obeyed, just as Shino joined them, and they both looked to her expectantly.

_Oh, dear. _"I can't tell you!" she insisted, spinning on her heel and scuttling away.

An arm dropped heavily on her shoulders as Kiba caught up. "Come on, Hinata! We won't tell anyone!"

"I know Shino-kun won't." She murmured, eyes flashing around for a means to escape.

Kiba shrugged, unaffected. "So tell him at least!"

"He'll tell _you._" She picked up her pace. "And you'll tell everyone."

"Everyone knows."

She halted abruptly, making Kiba stumble, and stared at Shino. "Who knows?"

"Shikamaru and Ino know, so it's just a matter of time before they tell Chouji. And from what I understand, Temari and Gaara know – so Kankurou's going to find out. And Naruto and Sasuke know." Apparently he had done some investigating.

Kiba shook her melodramatically by the shoulders. "_We're the only ones out of the loop!_"

Shino pulled him away from the panicking girl, who stepped back, chewing her lip thoughtfully, debating. Finally, she sighed and blurted: "SakurachanishavingSasukekun'sbrother'sbaby!"

Kiba blinked at her, and his arms flailed suddenly. "We were supposed to understand that?"

Shino simply said, "How does Lee feel about that?" Why wasn't he ever surprised by anything?

"He wants to raise the baby as his own." She said quietly, still perplexed that she'd given in. "If everyone knows, why couldn't you find out from someone else?"

Kiba grinned, kissing her cheek, "Because Sakura doesn't know any of us know – and everyone's trying to keep her from finding out."

0

"You owe me big-time." Sasuke grumbled darkly.

Neji scowled as he slid into the front seat, throwing his bag into the back of the convertible. He had just spent the night in the parking lot of a gas station in Pennsylvania – he was dirty, exhausted, and less than happy. "After all Hinata-sama and I did for you, _you _still owe _me._"

Sasuke didn't argue the moot point, and there was silence in the car for a long time. He was murmuring words to the songs of underground bands as his CD player blared them ("_I don't need your sympathy!_"); Neji dozed against the window, trying only vaguely to stay awake.

After three hours, Sasuke backhanded his shoulder lightly. "Hey, you hungry?"

0

"You never come home for the weekends." Sasuke commented, drowning his cheeseburger in a ridiculous amount of ketchup.

Neji tried to keep the disgust from his face, considering this was his ride home. "I wanted to see Hinata-sama."

"Don't you talk to her, like, everyday?"

"I haven't spoken to her since I left."

Sasuke choked on his soda.

The older boy sighed. "I don't have any time to do anything between classes, extracurricular activities, and my job. My schedule is completely booked from the moment I wake up to the time I go to bed."

"Hn." Sasuke chewed thoughtfully on a French fry. "No wonder she's been acting so strange." At the questioning look, he went on, "She never just hangs out with us anymore. She always has to be doing something – I haven't seen her at lunch at all. When she's got nothing to do, she gets quieter and sad, like a lost puppy. It's no wonder, since you two haven't kept in touch." He paused, hesitating, then added, "She's also taken up a habit I haven't seen from her in a while – like, a little compulsive thing she does."

Dread filled Neji's stomach, obliterating his appetite, and he pushed his salad away. "What?"

"She's been doing it since she was twelve or so, and stopped around the time you started dating." He lifted his arms, tugging at the sleeves of his jacket, pulling them down over the butts of his hands in demonstration. "She does it all the time, like she's hiding her arms."

They were both fully aware of the implications and fell silent – Sasuke slowly finishing his lunch and Neji staring at his own. "You don't really think she's doing that again, do you?" he finally asked softly, face paler than usual.

Sasuke shrugged insensitively. "You can ask her when we get back – we've got four hours to go still."

0

"Why did you tell _Chouji_?" Sakura shrieked at Ino as soon as she answered the phone.

"I didn't." Her tone was bored, as if she was interrupting something – but also as if this outburst was expected. "Shikamaru did."

"Why did you tell _him_?"

"I _didn't_, Sakura. _Temari _did."

"And how did _she _find out?"

"She's best friends with TenTen, Sakura."

The pink-haired girl threw her teddy bear at the wall, then immediately retrieved it, curling into the fetal position around it on her bed – which she knew must look ridiculous with her swollen stomach.

"You shouldn't get so stressed – it's bad for the baby." Ino soothed absently.

Sakura buried her face into her comforter. "I'm tired of this baby, and it hasn't even been born yet."

"Thought up any names?"

"Well, if it's a boy, Lee-san wants to name him after Gai-sensei."

There was a pause. Then: "Weird."

"I forbade it."

"Good."

"I'm hoping for a girl."

"All girls hope for girls."

"Yeah, I guess."

"What will you name her if she's a girl?"

"I don't know." She rolled onto her back, staring at her very white ceiling. "But I won't name her after a flower."

"Why not?"

"Those names are jaded."

0

Additional A/N: o.O Random Elizabethan fun fact: … I could smell McDonald's when I was writing this.


	9. Surrender Every Word Every Thought Every

Note from the Author: o.O I honestly thought my reviewers had forgotten about me.

More real-life in-school experiences for this chapter. LeeSaku/NejiHina fluffiness.

**Sasukelover911: **_As soon as possible! _:proud:

**DemonRogue: **Oh, completely and undeniably bitter. Hardcore.

'**A'lusy: **They are indeed dating! –NejiHina fangirl alert!- Yeah, you might want to read "Don't Be Afraid." Haha. Like, you don't have to, but … yeah. :sheepish smile:

**Book-manga-freak: **I love your reviews. They always make me smile. I think I'm going to have Sasuke throw his phone away in the next chapter or so. o.O :hoards digital cookies:

**Furuido: **… You're sitting next to me while I'm writing this. So. Yeah. I already said what I wanted to.

_**Surrender every word, every thought, every sound.**_

"What the _hell _does 'dichotomy' mean?" Naruto groaned, slamming his head against his open vocabulary workbook. "Where's teme when I need him?"

_Where _is _Sasuke? _"It means 'to have two distinct parts." Sakura explained. "The definitions are in the back of the book, you know."

He grinned, leaning over and planting a "You're a lifesaver" kiss on her cheek. "Thanks, Sakura-chan!"

"Hey, did you guys hear about that woman who shot her husband?" Shikamaru asked, leaning back in his chair, procrastinating his own work.

"Which one?" Ino and Gaara asked at the same time in the same cynical way, then smiled at each other.

He scratched at his cheek absently, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Apparently, he killed her pet chicken."

"Less talking, more vocab." Hatake Kakashi mumbled from his desk, nose buried in a book, feet propped up.

Sakura sighed, closing her book and laying her head down. Sleeping was getting harder to do lately, because she was uncomfortable all the time.

Besides that, and despite Naruto's assurances, she was worried about Sasuke. He was one of those obsessive students with perfect attendance – this was his second absence. "Naruto, you're sure he's not sick, right?" she kept asking, and he kept saying –

"Yes, Sakura-chan." This time, though, he leaned toward her, whispering, "He went to get Neji!"

Her head lifted. "Really?"

He nodded proudly, as if it had all been his idea. "Hinata's going to be so happy!"

She smiled sadly. "I'm glad he's coming to visit – Hina-chan needs him." She paused. "Why did Sasuke-kun go get him?"

Naruto shrugged. "Neji called him – something about it being a surprise."

She sighed, resting her chin on her fists. "That's so sweet," she said quietly, more to herself than to him. Her green eyes flitted back to his face. "Does she know yet?"

He shook his head. "He's going to meet her outside of school today."

0

Hinata shivered, pulling her jacket closer around her and folding her arms across her chest as she started her walk home. "It's getting colder everyday." She murmured to herself, just to keep the silence at bay.

She was still getting used to walking alone, having grown accustomed to having Neji at her side, holding her hand and talking softly with her, as if it was just him and her and a whole world. Now, everything seemed lonely.

It didn't help at all that she hadn't even spoken to him since he left. It was as if he didn't care at all – too wrapped up in his college world and life to worry about the little town of Konoha and the little Hinata waiting for him.

_Don't be bitter. _She chided herself mentally for the feeling and reached up to brush a strand of dark hair from her face, wincing at the mutilated skin of her arm as it flashed by her face.

It was not her proudest moment, and she knew how disappointed Neji – and Kiba and Shino, for that matter – would be if they found out she'd been cutting herself again.

"But at least _I'm _the one hurting me," she whispered aloud, defeated, to herself, shoulders drooping.

Arms came around her. "You're hurting me too, Hinata-sama." A mouth whispered against her neck.

Her heart jumped joyfully at the voice and the touch, then sank as the words soaked in. "Neji-nii-san," she whispered, hanging her head.

His chin settled on her shoulder, one hand holding hers and the other tugging her sleeve up. He inhaled with a hiss at the sight of the slashes crisscrossing the underside of her arm, and he buried his face into her jacket. "You promised." He mumbled, holding her close.

She couldn't remember when she started crying. "I'm so sorry." She sobbed, turning into him and clinging to his neck. For some reason, her whole body sang with distraught happiness. Despite the fact that he was upset with her, she was glad he still cared enough to be.

After what seemed like a near-perfect forever, his head lifted from her shoulder, and his forehead pressed to hers in a silent forgiveness. "Come on," his voice was hoarse. "I'll walk you home."

She smiled, falling into step beside him, their fingers laced between them.

0

Sakura waved as she pulled into her driveway.

Lee grinned, hurrying down to the car to help her from it and to gather her books from the back.

"You don't have to do that, Lee-san." She murmured, though she was grateful not to have to carry them. "I've managed all week."

"Someone should be doing it for you!" he cried indignantly, scooping up the four textbooks and slinging her _pink _backpack onto his shoulder.

She smiled despite herself, following him up the front steps and into her house. "Thank you, Lee-san."

He beamed at her, dropping her books with a dull _thump _on her coffee table and helping her sit down.

"Lee-san," she sighed, settling onto the couch. "The baby isn't due until December – I can still take care of myself."

"I know that, Sakura-san." He squeezed her hand. "But I want to take care of you – I always have." He jumped to his feet. "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?"

She shook her head, pulling him back down next to her and laying her head on his shoulder. "I just want to talk to you, Lee-san."

His arm slid around her waist, cautiously, like the words scared him. "About what?"

"Everything." She said simply, kissing him lightly. "I want to tell you everything."

0

Additional A/N: o.O Should I jump off a cliff now?

…

Yes?

I thought so.


	10. Surrender Every Touch Every Smile Every

Note from the Author: Real-life experiences again. -.-

And random observation: _No one _reading this is going to expect the ending – unless they've been paying attention – except for my sister, who … I told already. Because I just _couldn't _keep it to myself!

**DemonRogue: **Yes, it should be interesting indeed!

**Furuido: **Why didn't you _answer _the damn phone? Then it wouldn't have scared the cats. And it just rang a bit ago – it's not that loud. And that one-shot was in all ways your fault.

**Book-manga-freak: **_Score! _Chocolate chip!

'**A'lusy: **… They look so _good _together! o.O NejiHina is my number one pairing – I write more NejiHina than anything else … -.- It's kind of funny, because most of my readers don't even like the pairing. Haha.

And I wasn't going to jump off a cliff so I didn't disappoint you guys, because I'm disappointing myself with this story.

**Sasukelover911: **I'm glad you love it! And I promise I'm updating as fast as I can!

**Einzazmunster: **o.O I like fan art contemplation.

… I was going to say something else. _Oh. _Yes. Lee and everything – he's way too optimistic for his own good. I say he takes a page out of Neji's book.

_**Surrender every touch, every smile, every frown.**_

Sakura shouldn't have come to the mall.

It was the day of the college fair, and the idea of it depressed her. She knew she wouldn't be leaving Konoha, and being here among all these students eagerly discussing their futures with university counselors was suffocating.

"Sakura-chan!" Hinata waved and, upon realizing she was standing conspicuously in front of the Harvard table, blushed.

Sakura forced a smile, shuffling toward her. "Hi, Hina-chan." Her eyes strayed behind her, where she could usually find her cousin. "Where's Neji-san?"

Her eyes dimmed a little. "He went back to school this morning." She lifted her phone, laughing a little. "But he's called me three times already. Every time he gets into a new state."

Sakura gave a real smile. "That's sweet."

"Are you looking at any colleges in particular, hun?" The representative at the table interrupted, smiling.

The pink head shook. "No," she made a point to smooth a hand over her stomach. "I don't think I'll be going to school for a while."

The woman just nodded sympathetically.

0

_L'espoir._

TenTen stood staring at the word, which was scrawled across a piece of notebook paper in Lee's chicken-scratch handwriting and tacked to his dorm wall.

The door opened, and she looked at him, eyebrow lifted. "Hope?"

He smiled at her, falling on his stomach across his bed to find a book on the other side. "Yes. It's a reminder that things are going to get better now."

Her hands found her hips. "You realize you're spilling every which way about what happened this weekend." It had been their first trip home since Sakura had told him about the baby.

He sighed, rolling onto his back and patting the comforter beside him.

0

"_Lee-san," Sakura's voice was halting as she leaned against him, like she didn't know how to word what she wanted to say. "Lee-san, you know I care for you, don't you?"_

"_I do now, Sakura-san," he smiled softly, lacing their fingers as opposed to holding her. "Why do you ask?"_

_Her hair fell across the profile of her face, hiding her expression from him. "I don't love you, Lee-san." She whispered, unable to look at him even as her hand tightened on his, like she was afraid the words would make him pull it away. "I want to be with you, but I don't love you."_

_He should have expected it. He should have seen it coming, but the sound of shattering rang in his ears – like a baseball crashing through a window – and he figured that was his heart breaking. "Because you love Sasuke-kun, right?" he managed to quietly ask. He surprised himself a little. Even he had expected to burst into tears and run off when this day finally came. But he was collected and, although his brain was panicking, calm. Maybe he just wasn't surprised – she had always loved him; and really, Rock Lee couldn't compete with Uchiha Sasuke._

"_I know he's a lost cause." She didn't even try to deny her feelings. "He and Naruto are meant for each other, I know that. But I can't seem to stop myself from loving him." Teary green eyes met Lee's. "You're so good to me, Lee-san, and I can't even love you."_

_He embraced her – more like a brother than a lover, he noted – and she just sobbed against his shoulder. He had never expected to be the calm one in this situation. "Sakura-san?" Her head lifted, and if there was any part of his heart left undamaged, it would have broken at the utter misery etching the curves of her face, following the rails her tears were mapping out. "Sakura-san, I promise, I'm going to do my best." He gave a thumbs-up and a sad smile at her questioning look. "My goals now – they are for you and the baby." His hand settled gently on her stomach. "I hope you can learn to love me, Sakura-san, but if you can't, I will be content with your friendship, and I will be content to always take care of you."_

0

TenTen was well-aware that what Lee had told Sakura was a lie. He would never be content with her friendship – he would always want more, _long _for more, and he would never be happy.

She lay with her head on his stomach, perpendicular to him on the bed, with a view of his chin. "Are you sure you should have said that?" she asked softly, not wanting the break the unusual silence.

"I don't know" was his quiet response. "I hope so, but a part of me is dreading this. Does that make me a bad person?"

TenTen pulled herself up to the pillow, resting her head next to his, her forehead pressed to his temple. "It might now have been the best thing to promise."

He squeezed her hand. "A promise is a promise, though. And, you know, I have a lot of hope that things will be okay."

She let a smile come to her lips. "Yeah, I know."

0

"Hinata."

She halted and shifted, smiling. "Hi, Shino-kun."

His hand extended toward her. "May I see your arm?"

She flinched. "What?"

His voice was soft, near emotionless. "I've been told to check your arms everyday."

She sighed – _typical overprotective Neji behavior – _and held out her left arm for him.

He pushed up the sleeve of her jacket, inspecting the cuts – most likely counting them – and asked, "Why didn't you tell me?" A faint string of hurt twined through his words.

"I didn't want you to worry," she explained apologetically. "You and Kiba-kun are so happy – I didn't want to put a damper on that."

He frowned, then registered Kiba calling his name and pulled her sleeve down, dropping her arm and turning as if nothing had happened.

She blinked in confusion at the back of his dark head. _Kiba-kun doesn't know._

She reached out to squeeze his hand thankfully, then smiled as Kiba hugged her with one arm and laced the fingers of his other hand with Shino's. "You guys ready? We're going to Taco Hut!"

His boyfriend's eyebrow lifted. "Who decided that?"

"_I _did!" He growled, glaring at him. "I want a _taco_, but I want _breadsticks _too."

Hinata giggled, hugging her books to her chest. "That's a funny combination, Kiba-kun."

"Have a good evening, guys!" Sakura smiled as she walked by toward her car, her textbooks piled in her arms to her chin.

"Sakura-chan, let me help you!" Hinata rushed to her side, taking three of the five books, immediately staggering under the weight of Sakura's combined with hers.

Kiba rolled his eyes, taking two of them from her. "Our little hero." He murmured fondly, then turned to Sakura. "Since we've stolen most of your books, you want to come eat with us?"

She smiled brightly. "I'd love to."

0

"Have you decided on names?" Hinata took a neat bite of her pizza.

Sakura grimaced. _I'm so sick of this question. _"Actually, Hina-chan, if it's a girl, I might name her after you."

The small girl blushed. "Why me?"

"Well, it was you or Ino," she explained, "because you're my two best girlfriends. And I figure the name might affect the personality – and if my daughter is anything like Ino, I'm giving her up for adoption."

"And if it's a boy?" Kiba asked around his straw, futilely trying to slurp up soda from his empty cup, then giving up and grabbing Shino's.

"Naruto." She smiled fondly. "I want to have a happy, energetic boy – but hopefully, he'll inherit the Uchiha brain."

It was the first time she had openly commented on who the father was, and neither of the friends she was speaking with knew how to respond, and didn't say anything.

Shino, completely void of any awkward bone in his body, asked, "What will the surname be?"

"Haruno." She answered without hesitation.

This time, they changed the subject.

0

Additional A/N: Ooooh – foreshadowing. And does anyone know – is "Rock" Lee's last name? o.O


	11. Surrender All The Pain We've Endured Unt

**Einzazmunster: **I want to see whatever you draw! (!) Gaara gets a big feature next chapter! Because I miss him. -.-

**DemonRogue: **I thought that too, but in the dub (:gags:), they call him "Rock Lee" too, so I got confused … maybe they just thought "Lee Rock" would sound dumb?

**PIE IS FILLED WITH AWESOMENESS: **I will keep up the good work if you give me an A! Otherwise, just to spite you, I shall become a very bad writer – and it will only be because you gave me a B+. -.-

… I'm sorry. I'm slowly losing my mind.

**Book-manga-freak: **Haha! Only I didn't get any. -.- :wants chocolate chip cookies:

**Sasuke911: **I believe that "Yes" is the agreement we've all come to. Still though – Lee Rock?

_**Surrender all the pain we've endured until now.**_

Sakura wished she could sit on the floor – but knew she wouldn't be able to get back to her feet if she did. She was locked in the last stall of the girls' bathroom, having lost all patience she had with Naruto and Sasuke.

She had a feeling that every kiss they snuck when Asuma's back was turned had been for her benefit, because Naruto was looking increasingly flustered by Sasuke's affection, as if he didn't understand why he suddenly wanted to be sweet in public.

But Sakura knew that Sasuke was trying to drive her crazy because she was going to give birth to his nephew, the child of a brother he despised. He hated her for that, and she didn't blame him. She hated herself for it too.

She wiped at her eyes, refusing to free her tears. If Sasuke saw her cry, he would know she was weak and know she was in love with him.

Actually, he probably knew the latter already. Well – the former too. Over the years she'd spent as his friend, she'd made obvious to him over and over her lack of will, as well as her complete and total – and unreturned – adoration.

The fact that he was still getting to her disgusted her. Ever since she talked with Lee – told him everything – she promised herself happiness, and swore to Lee that she would try her best too.

It seemed she failed in both respects.

0

"Lee!" TenTen waved. "Come to lunch with me – I have a surprise for you!"

He smiled at her. "Sounds great."

0

As soon as they sat down in McDonald's (They didn't have time for a real restaurant; they both had one o'clock classes), she whipped out a bag, beaming. "I saw it in the store window and _had _to buy it. It screamed 'Lee.'"

He took it from her, peering into it, and laughed. "TenTen, where did you find this?" he asked, pulling out the green baby jumper.

"The Gap." She smiled proudly. "You like it then."

"I love it!" he leaned across the table to kiss her cheek. "Thank you, TenTen."

They settled into a comfortable silence – TenTen sipping at her soda and glaring at her biology homework more than doing it, Lee happily munching on his French fries and answering text messages.

"Neji says 'Hi.'" Lee commented.

TenTen snorted, not looking up. "I know Neji – he did not."

Lee chuckled. "You're right. Actually, he told me if I text him again, he's selling his phone to a rapist." His mirth died away. "Say, TenTen?"

"Hm?" she captured a fry from his hand, grinning before stuffing it in her mouth.

He smiled lightly. "When did you become so supportive of me raising the baby?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, closing her textbook and hissing at it before saying, "I figure my opinion doesn't matter – so I might as well be your friend and make sure you don't screw up." She fingered her straw, finding it suddenly very interesting, as she quietly added, "I don't want to lose you because _I _hate Sakura and _you _love her."

He stared at his cell phone, closing it slowly. "TenTen, your opinion means the world to me." He said softly, eyes averted.

She just smiled at him.

0

"_Gaara._" Umino Iruka's voice was sharp. "Put the cell phone away _now_, or I'm _taking _it away."

The quiet redhead showed no sign of heeding the warning.

Naruto laughed, slumping in his seat, arm thrown over the back of the chair. "C'mon, 'ruka, you know you're not going to."

"Besides," Ino added, reading over her boyfriend's shoulder, "he's texting with Lee – it's important!"

If it was a cartoon, steam would have been shooting from their teacher's ears. "This is _psychology_," he gritted his teeth, "_not _'We-need-to-talk-about-our-love-lives' hour!"

The group stared at him, startled.

"You don't think Lee and Gaara are _dating_, do you?" Kiba, forever loud, asked the question everyone wanted to.

"I didn't _say _that!" he snapped irritably. "I'm _saying _that I'm going to find out all about whatever's going on from Naruto anyway, so we don't need to discuss it in here!"

Sighing like it was a bother, Gaara tucked his phone into his pocket, and Iruka – face still red – turned back to the board.

"What did he say?" Ino asked, her chin on the boy's shoulder.

Gaara lifted the free shoulder in a shrug. "He gave Sakura another chance."

The blonde sighed in relief at the same time that she rolled her eyes. "Good thing – I'd be the one having to deal with the girl if Lee dumped her. _But _if I were in his shoes, I _would _have dumped her."

0

It's not like Ino had known Sakura had just come back into the classroom and had managed to catch the entire statement. She really didn't blame her for the thought either – she really sort of wished that Lee had left her, because it was really what she deserved.

Vaguely, she wondered if everyone in their group thought that way, and she looked around at the familiar faces in her class.

Naruto supported her in everything and would probably defend her _and _Lee's choice to stay with her, just because that's how he was. He'd do anything to protect a friend.

Sasuke – well, she knew his feelings.

Hinata was forever kind – probably didn't have a mean bone in her entire body, and only wanted her to be happy, because that's how she was. She didn't care how she was happy, as long as she _was_.

Kiba probably wasn't paying close enough attention to have an opinion at all – or if he was, he was enjoying the rumor mill feel of the whole situation and didn't have an opinion because he just thought this was for his amusement.

Sakura couldn't read Shino. She had never been able to, probably would never be able to.

Chouji was unaware of most aspects of the situation, which was fine with her. She didn't care to have him know.

Shikamaru was too easily bored to have even really listened to the story in the first. Her guess was that he knew that it was not Lee's child and that was about the end of it – although she was fairly certain that he knew she was pregnant before anyone else did.

Temari called her a slut last weekend when she'd come into town. She'd never been a hard person to read, because she just said whatever she felt like at that moment – it didn't matter if it hurt someone.

Sakura knew Gaara's feelings – he had never liked her, had never thought she was good enough for Lee, and she wasn't.

Kankurou was another one of those people who was just having too much fun with the drama of it to really care what was going on. He was the kind of guy who pushed a kid on the playground and said someone else did it, just to watch the two eight-year-olds in question duke it out.

She sighed, laying her head sulkily on her desk. Overall, she probably had three people on her side. And that feeling really sucked.


	12. Surrender All The Hope That I Lost You H

Note from the Author: o.O I'm momentarily going through a I-like-Sasuke phase. I'll have to go back and watch the show and listen to him angst so I'll start hating him again.

**DemonRogue: **Oh, how I love my soap opera fics:hugs soap opera fics: I try to write them so that they deal with, like, every problem a teenager could ever have to deal with … like, "Don't Be Afraid" was all rape and suicide, "Catch Without Arms" was … gangs and rape and suicide and homosexuality and running away and alcohol. -.- And this is turning into a lovely girl cheated on boy and got pregnant and is soon going to do something very, very, _very _stupid.

**PIE IS FILLED WITH AWESOMENESS: **Someone always gets left out of my stories. -.- So I wanted to bring everyone in to have a good time. :giggle fit:

**Book-manga-freak: **Damn you, CD-rom drive for being too small:shakes fist: Yeah, the same thing definitely had happened here that had happened in "Catch Without Arms" in which I randomly felt sorry for my main character who I actually hate.

**Sasukelover911: **Let's start a club: The We-Hate-Sakura-But-Feel-Bad-For-Her Club.

**Furuido: **You shouldn't admit to being lazy. That's Sloth and that's a deadly sin. We talked about that in American Lit. today. And yes – it _was _your fault.

_**Surrender all the hope that I lost you have found.**_

"I'm not going to forgive you."

Sakura blinked out of her bored daze, tilting her head to acknowledge his words.

"Naruto loves you." Sasuke sat cross-legged on the bleachers, watching with vague interest as their PE class enthusiastically interacted in a game of dodgeball, his calculus book propped in his lap. "He wants me to forgive you, but I'm not going to."

She frowned, eyes trailing after an escaped ball. "You don't have to tell me that, Sasuke-kun," she said quietly. "I know that already."

They fell quiet, and her ears filled with squeaking sneakers and bouncing balls, excited whooping and outraged yells. She smiled at Naruto as he argued with Gai-sensei about whether or not he was _actually _out.

"We can't be at odds."

She turned to Sasuke again. "What?"

"Naruto wants – and expects – this group to be together forever." He explained. "I want him to be happy."

"So," she wrapped her arms around her knees, then shifted to lean back on her hands, "no friendship, but civility?"

If she didn't know him so well, she would have missed his affirming nod.

"I can deal with that."

"Teme!" Naruto ran up, a grin plastered on his face. "Isn't this your free period?" he asked, leaning to kiss him on the cheek.

"You smell, dobe." Sasuke pushed him off, hand on his chest. "And yes. I'm waiting for Shino."

"Why?"

"Because we have to be somewhere." He frowned at the equation he was working on, erasing it and starting again. "We're going to lunch."

"_Why are you telling your boyfriend you're going to lunch with another guy?_" Naruto yelled, arms failing.

"Who's he going to lunch with?" Kiba walked up, running a hand through his damp hair.

Naruto glowered at him. "_Your _boyfriend."

"_What?_"

As the two proceeded to throw fits, shouting incoherently, Sasuke sat smirking unnoticed beside them, and Sakura chuckled. "You had to say it like that, didn't you?"

He leaned back against the bench behind him, resting on his elbows. "Would you miss this?"

"Not a chance."

Shino chose that incredibly convenient time to join them.

"_You!_" Kiba and Naruto were in his face in a second. "_What are you doing going on a lunch date with Sasuke?_"

"I never said it was a date." The Uchiha's tone was bored.

"It's a meeting for the Elite Math League." Shino explained. "Shikamaru's coming too."

"You didn't tell me that." Naruto muttered, his face red.

His boyfriend sighed, standing and kissing him lightly. "You didn't ask."

0

"Sakura-chan!" Hinata ran up to her. "Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, and I are going to dinner with Tsunade-sama and Shizune-chan. Would you like to join us?"

She smiled. "I'd love to, but Lee-san's coming in tonight."

"He can come too."

"Alright – sounds great." She waved, turning toward her car.

0

Naruto frowned, sitting down on the end of his boyfriend's bed and staring at the lump in the blankets. "Are you really too sick to go, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha didn't emerge, mumbling incoherencies.

"Are you sure you're not faking because you don't want to go because you know Tsunade-obaa-chan is going to say 'I told you so'?"

Dark eyes glared at him over the edge of the comforter. "I don't care if she was right." He shifted, turning away from the other boy.

"Suit yourself, Sasuke." Naruto muttered, standing, and then to himself, he added, "I'm glad she was right."

Sasuke sat up abruptly, grabbing his hand. "I'm glad she was right too." He murmured, eyes deliberately averted.

Naruto smiled, tackling him onto the bed with a kiss. "She won't care if we're a little late, huh?"

0

"_I told you so!_" Tsunade was either inebriated, or she had just won the jackpot in a poker game.

Sakura was betting on the former. "Hi, guys." She smiled as Naruto walked into the restaurant, dragging Sasuke – who had just attempted escape – behind him.

"Hi, Sakura-chan!" The blonde leaned down to kiss her and hugged Tsunade. "Oh! Fuzzy Eyebrows! You're here! Hi!"

Lee grinned. "You haven't called me that in years, Naruto-kun."

"Kind of brings back memories." Sakura laughed. "Do you remember the first time you asked me out, Lee-san?"

"I do." Sasuke murmured, still pouting. "You made him cry. It was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen."

Naruto snorted, throwing an arm across the back of his boyfriend's chair. "If I remember right, Lee kicked your ass because Sakura-chan told him she would only accept you."

Shizune, who had been quiet until then, giggled. "Is that true, Sasuke-kun?"

He scowled in response.

Tsunade slammed her hand on the table. "So tell me, Sasuke-kun."

He glowered at her.

"Why did you come back to Konoha?"

"Because Orochimaru went to jail – why do you think?" he grumbled.

"But you could have gone _anywhere_!" she persisted, words slurred as she threw her arms wide to demonstrate. "Why'd you come back here?"

His face darkened further. "You know why." He growled.

"What do I know?"

He muttered under his breath; Naruto managed to catch "fucking shit-faced bitch."

She leaned forward. "What was that?"

He chose to answer her former question: "I came back because I'm in love."

Everybody at the table stared at him, silent. Sakura was the first to look away, her heart twisting. Lee caught her movement, frowning at her obvious discontent with Sasuke's statement even as he laced his fingers with hers.

Tsunade smiled. "I knew it." Sitting back, satisfied with the fact that she got him to say it, she added, "You've loved him all along."

His arms folded over his chest, he sank into his chair, blushing furiously, and murmured, "I never denied it."

Naruto's expression was soft as he drew his chair closer, wrapping an arm around his waist – without comment for once, because none was needed.

"So what's your story?" Tsunade cut through the tender moment loudly, turning to the other couple. "Having a baby, huh?"

Sakura crossed her arms over her stomach protectively, as if her words could hurt the child within. "Yes."

"When's it due?"

"December."

"How was the sex?"

She blushed and, before Lee could jump to save her honor, Sasuke said, "Does that qualify as your business?"

Naruto stared at him.

Tsunade's head swiveled to face him. "What – is it your kid?"

He looked away.

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled then, waving manically and giving the needed distraction.

The girl smiled shyly, hurrying toward their table. "I'm sorry I'm late. Kurenai-sensei needed help at the diner. I tried to call."

"It's okay, Hinata-chan." Sakura cut in before she could reprimand herself further. "Sit down here." She patted the seat beside her.

She did, nodding at the older women. "Hello, Tsunade-sama, Shizune-san."

"Where's your cousin?" Tsunade asked immediately.

"What's with you and meddling in our love lives?" Naruto shrieked.

Sakura couldn't help but to laugh. Everything he said made her feel like things would be okay and that was why she adored him. No matter the words that came out of his mouth, they were positive. She was jealous of that.

"Neji-nii-san is at school." Hinata answered, giggling at the look the doctor and Naruto were giving each other.

"Where does he goes?" Shizune asked, rolling her eyes at her friend.

"Harvard." She said it so proudly, like she herself was attending the university.

"A smart one, huh?" Tsunade broke her glaring contest with the blonde boy, who shouted in victory. "What does he want to do with his life?"

"He wants to be a historian or a chemist. He says he either wants to help teach about the past or affect the future."

"And what do you want to do?"

Hinata shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. "A nurse, maybe."

"That'd be a good job for you, Hinata!" Naruto yelled encouragingly.

"I was looking into being a nurse too, Hinata-chan." Sakura commented. "Where do you think you'll work?"

"Konoha Hospital." The timid girl seemed to be shrinking beneath all the attention.

"Maybe we'll work together then." Sakura smiled and immediately diverted the focus, saving her friend. "What about you two?"

"I want to be the President!" Naruto declared. "Teme can be my secretary!"

Any affection from the Uchiha blew out like a candle and, if looks could kill, his boyfriend would be dead. "You better find a new boyfriend, dobe." He stated icily, sliding his chair out of his reach. "I know your ideas about secretaries."

Sakura did, too. "Not all secretaries are the whores of their bosses, Naruto."

Lee agreed fervently, naming the subject inappropriate to discuss in front of ladies.

Shizune and Tsunade laughed.

Hinata just blushed.

0

Additional A/N: Mostly pointless chapter – written for the sake of writing/updating and because I miss you guys. I'm doing my best to finish this; I'm just having a rough time jugging school and fan fiction. Haha.


	13. Surrender Yourself To Me

Note from the Author: I love NejiHina. o.O

_And _… I just watched again episodes 108-109, and … I officially hate Sasuke and Sakura. -.- _So _in this chapter, Sakura's a bitch and Sasuke gets in trouble with Naruto.

**DemonRogue: **Yeah, I thought it was time they talked … because I like Sasuke for the moment. And I'm glad you enjoyed the President thing. I did too.

**PIE IS FILLED WITH AWESOMENESS: **I'm glad you thought so. I really enjoy writing comedy scenes.

**Sasukelover911: **I'll do my best.

**Book-manga-freak: **I figured the point of that chapter would be Sasuke and Sakura's conversation – and after that, I was like, "Hm. Comedy? Let's have some fun!"

**Furuido: **Excuse me for having a life outside of fan fiction.

_**Surrender yourself to me.**_

The air lay heavy in Sakura's chest, a gloomy wind whispering through her clothes and whistling against her ears.

_It's going to rain soon._ The trees raged above her head, branches tossing like arms flailing, leaves hissing angrily. Strands of pink hair blew across her green eyes, and she brushed them delicately away, smiling at the boy whose arm supported her. "You don't have to walk me, you know."

Naruto shrugged, grinning. "I don't like the idea of you walking alone. And I know how you feel about my driving."

Her giggle was lost to the violent autumn breeze. "Well, thank you. I appreciate it." Silence descended between them; she watched their steps falling in time.

"You and Sasuke made up, huh?" Naruto's tone held casual curiosity, with a strain that said he really cared about her answer.

She stared at him. _He's not jealous. _He had always feared she would steal Sasuke from him – not because Sasuke had any actual interest in her, but because Naruto had this inevitable lack of self-esteem about him. Besides that, when Naruto told Sasuke he loved him, Sasuke had denied the feeling and briefly dated Sakura just to prove to Naruto – and himself – that he wasn't gay. He had hurt her in the process, but he had never cared. Now she grimaced. "Yeah, kind of."

"Kind of?"

_Am I no longer a threat? _"Well, you know Sasuke-kun. He never liked me much to begin with." _Naruto, does Sasuke-kun hate me so much?_

As if he read her thoughts, he gently said, "He's disappointed in you. He expected you to be his self-respecting best friend, you know? He never imagined you'd cheat on Lee with anyone – especially not the brother that's been molesting him since he was eight." His lips quirked upward, more in sadness than mirth.

Her heart stung at his words. "I didn't know that." She whispered, and it was lost to the rain, which appropriately chose t hat moment to come arcing down over them.

A flash of orange, and they were sheltered, Naruto smiling proudly at his obnoxious umbrella. "We'd better hurry. It's supposed to be a storm, and Iruka says this'll get hit by lightning because it's so ugly."

She couldn't help but laugh, momentarily forgetting his guilt, as she pulled along, chatting animatedly with the blonde boy who never stopped moving, and that she loved so dearly.

0

Her bare legs danced out from under the sheets she was wrapped in as Hinata engrossed herself in her textbook, unashamed of her bare shoulders. Neji lay on his back beside her, watching her frown in concentration. "What's in there that you find so fascinating?"

"I have a philosophy test on Monday." She scooted under his arm as he rolled over, his hand running up her back affectionately. "I don't know anything about Sigmund Freud."

"I bet you know more than you think." He pulled the book out from under her, ignoring her protest. "I'll quiz you."

She smiled, pressing her lips to his jaw.

It was the late Saturday morning of a three-day weekend, and they hadn't gotten out of bed yet, quietly enjoying each other's private company. As he flipped through her book, she squinted through the sunlight at her locked bedroom door. "Do you suppose they'd be embarrassed if they walked in on us like this?"

"Hn. No." He frowned at the text and moved on to the next page. "I would be bodily thrown from the house, reigniting the feud between our families." He smiled grimly. "Why are doctors beginning to think Freud was wrong?"

"That's not in there!" she snatched the book from him, glaring at it."

"Just making sure you were paying attention, Hinata-sama."

She smacked him playfully in the arm, rolling out of bed, holding the sheet around her. "It's almost noon. We're meeting everyone for lunch."

He didn't answer, watching her as she moved to her vanity to brush her hair. "It's getting long."

She ran her fingers self-consciously through it, frowning as it fell across her collarbone. "I've been growing it out." Her eyes met his in the mirror. "Is it okay?"

He nodded. "It suits you." He stretched to his feet, groaning contentedly. "I'm getting in the shower." He laid a kiss on the top of her head as he went past. "I'll help you study when we get back."

0

"When did it start?" Sakura asked him quietly, sitting on the front steps of his house.

"Right after my parents died." Sasuke's face was closed, his face hollow – devoid of emotion, as if he had talked about it many times.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" It came out shrill – more accusatory than she had intended.

"Because he was my _brother._" He snapped. "He was the only family I had." His elbows shifted off his knees, revealing the red imprints they'd left in his skin. "I knew you would tell someone and he's go to jail."

"What about Naruto?"

"He'd have killed him." He said shortly. "When he found out, he actually tried to." His shoulders lifted and fell in a vague shrug. "The only person I told was Hinata."

_So she's the confidante of us all._ Sakura leaned forward, tucking her arms around her bulging stomach. "I never would have slept with him if I'd know." She whispered. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun."

He was silent – they both were – staring out at the street dark with fresh rain.

"Sakura."

"Hm?" She tilted her head at him.

"I wish I could forgive you." His mouth was marked with a frown. "We've been best friends for so long – and I'm trying. But I can't see how to get past this. It'll be even harder when my _nephew _is born."

She sighed. "I don't know what to say, Sasuke-kun, except 'I'm sorry' and I know you well enough to know that will never be good enough."

0

"Neji-nii-san?" Hinata sat cross-legged on her bed, freshly-showered, slapping her knee with her hairbrush absently. "Can I ask you something?"

He settled on the floor in front of her, rubbing at his hair before laying the towel across his knee. "Yes?"

She gently pulled the brush through his hair, working out the knots. "What if I told you I was pregnant?" His shoulders tensed against her legs. "And what if it was another boy's baby? What would you do?"

He had already turned to her and was staring at her with an expression that broke her heart a little before she realized hypothesizing was not the way to ask that question.

"Neji-nii-san!" she cried, wrapping her arms around him. "I wasn't talking about me."

He visibly relaxed, pulling her into his lap. "Who _were _you talking about?"

"Sakura-chan." She explained. "She slept with Sasuke-kun's brother and is having his baby, and Lee-kun forgave her."

Neji's eyebrow lifted. "_Please _tell me Sasuke has more than one brother."

She shook her head seriously. "Sakura-chan has always been in love with Sasuke-kun and, when she couldn't have him, she found the closest thing."

Neji said nothing, his round with eyes studying her face.

She squirmed beneath his gaze, averting her own, her face flushed. "What is it?"

He tilted her head back up, kissing her hard. "I'm glad it was hypothetical." He murmured against her lips.

0

Naruto frowned.

Of course, this drew everyone's attention to him. "What is it, Naruto?" Kiba asked, leaning across the table of the diner to look out the window occupying the blonde's interest.

Sakura and Sasuke were walking together toward the door, talking quietly.

Naruto's face had blanched, a seldom-seen line of worry creasing his brow. _I wish I was Lee right now. He wouldn't be jealous. _Despite the feeling, he forced a smile for Sasuke as he came in, standing to embrace him.

Sakura did her best to hide her smirk as she slid into a booth beside her own boyfriend. She liked knowing Naruto saw her as a threat. She didn't fool herself into thinking Sasuke would ever care for her, but knowing that he accepted her enough to worry Naruto encouraged her.

"Sakura-san, what would you like to eat?" Lee asked, showing her a menu.

She smiled sweetly at him. "I'll have whatever you have, Lee-san."

Temari pretended to gag, and TenTen tried not to laugh her agreement. Lee was the only one who didn't realize how fake Sakura was being.

Sasuke fingers were tapping irritably on the table, apparently unsure what to do with themselves when not laced with those of Naruto, who was "subtly" ignoring him, joking loudly with Kiba, almost flirting. Shino frowned at him but said nothing.

Hinata tugged at Neji's sleeve, whispering when he leaned toward her and gesturing inconspicuously, and his eyebrow lifted at the two couples, only vaguely wondering what was going on, but really only caring about Hinata's voice against his ear.

0

"Naruto!" Sasuke's yell went ignored, and he ran through the parking lot, splashing through puddles, to grab his arm and spin him around. "What the fuck is your-?" He stopped upon seeing the expression on his face and then continued, more gently, "Naruto, what's wrong?"

He shook his head slowly, blue eyes gazing down at Sasuke's wet sneakers. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"Naruto, you're like an open book." Sasuke embraced him, inwardly panicking when his head fell against his shoulder, the only respond to his touch. "I can read you so easily. Something's bothering you."

The blonde head lifted, and he broke suddenly from Sasuke's hold on him. "Hinata!" He waved manically, a wide grin on his face.

She looked up, blinking round white eyes at him. "What is it, Naruto-kun?"

He ran up to her, leaving Sasuke standing distraught and confused beside his car. "Do you think you could help me with my Pre-Calc?"

She smiled. "Sure. We'll work on it in homeroom, okay?"

"What's up with you and Uchiha?" Neji was never one to dance around a subject. "You two are acting stranger than I've ever seen you and – I have to say – that's pretty strange."

Naruto ignored him, saying, "I'll get passes from Asuma-sensei, okay?"

A frown etched her face but she waved as he ran back to his car, where Sasuke was no longer standing. "I wonder what's wrong."

Neji shrugged. "You'll find out eventually. Everyone always tells you everything."


	14. Even Though I Know What I'm Looking For

Note from the Author: I know – she lives, right? How many months has it been? Fifteen? Seriously though – Vegetarian Salad's back and in _action_! Word of warning: I'm currently feeling a little bitter toward the male population, so we might have some couples fighting more than normal in the next few chapters.

**PIE IS FILLED WITH AWESOMENESS: **Yay:warm fuzzies:

**Einzazmunster: **Oh, noes:makes you soup: I hope you feel better.

Damn straight, Hinata should start a hotline. O.O

**DemonRogue: **He's probably deluding himself – because he's Lee and is therefore too nice for his own good.

**Sasukelover911: **-.- Maybe.

**Book-manga-freak: **Sasuke equals asshole. End of story. Poor Naruto, _indeed._

**The-dragon-whisperer: **Momentary gushing – ShinoKiba equals _love_!

_**Even though I know what I'm looking for …**_

"I don't know why I'm even bothering with this stupid dance." Sakura frowned at her reflection, noticeably disgruntled about the bulge in the stomach of her black dress that vaguely resembled a basketball. "And my boobs hurt."

"Well, that's what happens when you get pregnant." Ino sighed, almost motherly as she piled her best friend's hair on top of her head.

"I think you look lovely, Sakura-chan." Hinata smiled from where she perched politely on the corner of the pink-haired girl's bed.

"You don't look like a watermelon with limbs." Sakura snapped, immediately regretting it. Sighing, she apologized. "I'm a little on-edge right now. I'm nervous."

"Isn't Lee-san coming out for the dance?" The Hyuuga seemed virtually unfazed by the harsh tone, as if she heard it all the time.

"Yes – maybe that's why I'm nervous. How long will it be before he realizes I'm actually pregnant with another boy's baby and says, 'Screw this – I'm out'?" Sakura dabbed at her lips with a tube of gloss.

"Lee-san isn't like that."

"He should be, though." Ino murmured, obviously disapproving of her friend's actions. "He'll probably start crying when he sees you, Sakura. He'll gush about how beautiful you are and make the rest of us want to gag ourselves with spoons."

Hinata giggled. "I think it's cute."

The blonde glared in her direction, coming close to driving a bobby pin straight into Sakura's skull before hearing her yell out. "That's because _your _boyfriend does the whole 'public affection' thing so it doesn't bother you when other girls' boyfriends do too."

Sakura met her eyes in the mirror, a teasing smile on her lips. "Trouble in paradise, Ino-pig?"

"Can it, forehead girl." Her tone was glum, the insult half-hearted. "Gaara just doesn't seem like he cares, you know?"

"I think that's just how he is." Sakura shrugged, careful to not move her head. "He's very stoic, you know – he never really shows emotion."

Ino sighed, choosing that moment to take attention away from the fact that she and her boyfriend were having problems by turning to another's relationship. "How about you, Hinata? Any problems in your relationship, since we're on the subject? You know – besides you two being cousins. Ow! Forehead girl, that hurt."

Sakura retrieved her fist from the punch she just landed in her best friend's stomach. "I'm pretty sure it was supposed to."

Hinata giggled uncomfortably, wishing she wasn't in the room. "When are we going to meet the boys?"

"We're still waiting on Temari and TenTen." Ino rolled her eyes. "They're always late for everything."

"I bet they're off getting talking about me out of their system before they get here." Sakura snorted bitterly.

Ino smacked her arm, chastising her lightly. "I bet they're not."

The room fell into silence – comfortable but somehow awkward. Sakura found herself slightly embittered by the fact that her friends hadn't tried harder to dissuade her from thinking that TenTen and Temari didn't like her. It only proved to her in her mind that she was right. She really couldn't understand why Temari didn't like her, other than she was friends with TenTen. And TenTen – well, she could see why TenTen was mad. She and Lee had been friends for years. She was bound to be angry at what Sakura did.

Hinata's cell phone rang loudly into the silence – breaking the hold the tense nervousness had on them. "Hello?" her soft voice was timid as she answer, and a smile played lightly onto her lips.

Sakura and Ino rolled their eyes at each other in the mirror, pretending to tune out the lovers' conversation but really listening with longing to it.

"It's okay, Neji-nii-san; I'll be fine without a date." The gentle reassurance in her voice seemed to soothe the room, and the other two found themselves relaxing. "No, TenTen-san and Chouji-kun don't have dates either. Neither does Kankurou-kun. I'll find someone to dance with, I promise." She giggled. "Okay, I promise that too. Love you too. Good night."

"What else did you promise?" Her friends asked in unison, then laughed because they failed at pretending not to pay attention.

Hinata blinked her round white eyes at them, blushing lightly through her make-up. "I promised not to dance with Naruto-kun."

Ino wrinkled her nose. "What a funny thing to promise."

"Not really." Sakura shook her head carefully, as not to ruin her up-do. "Considering the crush Hinata-san had on Naruto, I'm not surprised Neji-san's a little jealous." She turned to her dark-haired friend. "Why didn't he come out for Winter Ball?"

"He has a big project due on Tuesday – he needs to work on it." Her eyes averted. "I understand that."

"Aw." Ino nudged Sakura. "She misses him."

Hinata's make-up was not hiding her blush.

0

Ino had been right.

Lee was sobbing. "You're so beautiful, Sakura-_chan_!" he cried, embracing her. He immediately let go and began fussing over her stomach and whether or not he had hurt the baby. After assuring him that the baby was fine, they entered the school.

While most dances took place in a school's gymnasium, the Konoha High School dances took place in the cafeteria – the space was bigger. Apparently, more kids like to eat than exercise. Sakura inhaled the smell of perfume and hairspray with joy, loving the atmosphere. The bass of the techno thrummed through her, and she found herself wanting to thrash to the beat. Before she was given the chance though, she was being forced to sit, and Lee was asking her if she was alright, if she needed some punch, if she was comfortable.

"I'm fine, Lee-san." She laughed, trying to stay good-natured. "I'd like to dance though. Do you want to dance with me?"

His tongue clicked worriedly. "Maybe to a slow song."

0

"Hinata," Naruto murmured against her ear, trying to be heard above the din. "Do you want to dance with me?"

She jumped away from the hand that had settled on her bare back, thought of her promise to Neji, then smiled sympathetically, seeing the distraught look on her friend's face. "Sure, Naruto-kun."

He held her close against him, moving to the slow guitar of the Snow Patrol song. "I needed to talk to you, Hinata." His voice was soft, miserable, as his cheek pressed against hers.

Hinata frowned, vaguely hoping no one took a picture. With her luck, that person would show someone at Harvard and that person would say, "Hey, Neji – isn't that your girlfriend?"

"Do you know if anything's going on between Sasuke and Sakura-chan?"

She startled out of her reverie. "I don't think so, Naruto-kun."

"How can you be sure?"

"Well, I can't be." She hesitated. "I know Sakura-san pretty well. If she and Sasuke-kun were together at all, she would be telling us because she would be very happy and, as much as I adore her, she would be gloating because she won him back from you. And I know Sasuke-kun very well too." She spoke more quietly now, pressing closer to him to talk more directly into his ear, afraid of prying ears. "He has never been intentionally unfaithful to you – except for the whole … incident." _Except for when his brother was fucking him. _She pulled back to look into his face. "Why do you think something is happening between them?"

0

Sasuke was fuming. Which, you know, isn't particularly unusual. But this time, it was different! First of all, he didn't know _why _Naruto was acting so weird and not speaking to him. And then there was _this _disgusting display. Who told Hinata she could wrap her arms around Naruto's neck like that – and since when was she allowed to whisper in his ear – and why were their bodies so damn close together?

"Sasuke-kun?"

He set his scathing glare on the face of the pink-haired girl standing above him.

"Would you like to dance, Sasuke-kun?"

He had taken her hand and was dragging her to the dance floor before the question mark even left her voice.


	15. She's Got A Brick Wall Behind Her Door

Note from the Author: So … FF dot net is definitely not sending out alerts. -.- That frustrates me. It means no reviews unless people actually come to the site and read this damn story.

Oh, goodness – I almost feel bad for what I'm about to do to my characters.

… _**she's got a brick wall behind her door.**_

Neji had been working on this project for his lit class for eleven hours, fifty-three minutes and twelve seconds. He was about as burnt out on it as one could be. The only thing to revive him? Food, of course!

Or that was his excuse as he strolled lazily toward his car, his only slightly-ascew hair hanging loose instead of pulled back. He would go get take-out, come back, eat it, take a nap, and start working again, he mused. While for most people, that would mean "I'm really not going to get back to this today;" to Neji it meant, "I'm going to do exactly what I said I'm going to do."

Of course, he hadn't counted on a familiar convertible being parked next to his van – or a disgruntled Uchiha leaning against the bumper, donning a wrinkled suit, tie flung over his shoulder.

White eyes roamed over the parking lot, as if looking for someone who could explain his presence – or maybe to see if he would still be there when he came back to him. "Did something bad happen, or are you about to confess your undying love for me?" His complete monotone and straight face made the statement much less comical than it would have been if someone else had said it.

Then again, Sasuke and Neji were probably the two men in the world who had the least amount of humor in their entire bodies, and Sasuke scowled at the statement, mumbling, "I needed to talk to someone who wasn't a total freak."

"What about Naru- oh, wait." Neji caught himself, nodding thoughtfully. "He would qualify as a total freak, wouldn't he? But you know, there is this lovely littly invention called a telephone."

"I was angry – I needed to get out of Konoha." He kicked his tire. "Besides, the dobe's not speaking to me anyway – and I don't know why." His black eyes clashed sharply with Neji's white as he looked up. "I figured you would know."

The Hyuuga snorted. "Why would I know? I don't care a bit if you and your boyfriend are having issues."

"Well, everyone tells _your _cousin everything – I figured she probably relays it all to you."

"I don't pay that much attention, unless she needs my help." He yawned, making an attempt at pulling his hair back. "I have an utter lack of interest in any of you – was she completely beautiful tonight?"

Uchiha eyes averted. "Yeah, hanging all over _my_ boyfriend." He muttered, under his breath.

"What was that?"

"She looked lovely."

"While I have no doubt that that's _not _what you said, I'll take your word for it." Neji sighed, opening the trunk of his van to sit in it, now that he was sure his break for dinner had become a break to accommodate a pouting Sasuke. "So tell me what exactly has been wrong between you and the blonde idiot?"

Sasuke chose to sit cross-legged on the asphalt as opposed to next to his 'friend,' more likely, probably, to ruin the suit he was angry at than to scorn Neji. "I don't know – that day we all went out to lunch – last time you were in town – he started acting all weird and flirting with Kiba and shit. So I tried to get him to talk to me in the parking lot and almost had him and your girlfriend provided the distraction he needed. He hasn't spoken to me since – and won't return my phone calls."

Neji stared up into a grey sky, wondering as he shivered why they were outside. "And, at the risk of sounding irrelevant, who did you come to the restaurant with?"

Sasuke's eyes followed his companion's, narrowed in thought. "I think that was the day Sakura came to interrogate me about my bastard of a brother."

Neji was silent for a moment, waiting for it to click, then, sighing: "_So._"

Sasuke glared at him. "So _what_? What's wrong with talking to Sakura?"

White eyes rolled as Neji unfolded himself to return to his dorm, as his hands were beginning to go numb. "You know, for being at the top of your class, you're not too bright."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke jumped to his feet, following after him. "I talked to Sakura – that's what Naruto wanted in the first place!"

Neji spun on him. "Think about it, Uchiha. Naruto wanted you to make up with Sakura because that would keep the group from falling apart. _However_, and if you didn't know this, I might have to seriously consider hurting you, Sakura has been in love with you her whole life. _Also_, while he likes to hide it behind this bogus façade of cockiness, _your _boyfriend is one of the most insecure people on the planet, and I'm sure _he's _aware that Sakura is in love with you. _So _add a girl in love with you and your insecure boyfriend together – what do you get?"

Sasuke had been glaring at him through his whole speech, silently berating him for his condescending tone. Now, he crossed his arms over his chest, looking away in an attempt to show him he was right without admitting it forthright. "Naruto's thinking I'm unfaithful." His voice was quiet, as if hurt that he would think that. "After all we've been through together, he thinks I would do that to him."

Neji leaned against the doorframe, lips pursed in an almost sympathetic way. "I don't blame him for worrying. He lost you once, you know. He's doing something anyone would do – he's detaching himself emotionally because he's afraid of getting hurt again – and he doesn't want you to hurt anymore. He's not quite as selfish as everyone makes him out – I'm pretty sure he has your best interests at heart; he wants you to be happy."

"Yeah." Sasuke stared at his shoes. "I think – I'm going to go. I have a long drive."

Neji's eyebrow shot up. "Are you okay to drive?"

"I'll be fine." His tone said otherwise, but he turned and started away, and Neji didn't stop him.

0

Neji pressed the butts of his hands against his eyes, leaning back in his swivel chair.

He was finally done with this project. He could start eating and sleeping again, now that the essentials of life were completed. Yawning, he pulled up the Internet on his computer, rolling his eyes when he got the alert that he had an e-mail from Lee. _Probably another ramble about yet another stupid movie he wants me to see._

Opening it anyway, he was pleasantly surprised by the first line: "Neji-kun! I thought you might be interested in some lovely shots of Hinata-san from the dance. She sincerely wishes you could have been here with us this evening! – Lee."

Smiling only _slightly _as his thoughtfulness, he scrolled on to look through the pictures. The first was of his blushing cousin standing beside TenTen. Her dress was a deep maroon, a strapless bodice hugging her torso, with a skirt that flared out, baring lovely pale legs from the knee down to black tap shoes. Her dark was whisked smoothly into a French twist ("Oh, Neji-nii-san – it's so like Audry Hepburn!" she had told him the morning it had been done.) and her face was almost bare of make-up.

Neji wished he could have seen her in person and the caption beneath it made him frown: _TenTen and Hinata-san were the only girls at the dance without dates; TenTen decided they would be each other's dates. _He didn't like that he had left her dateless for a formal dance. He had shunned her for a paper – it was ridiculous.

The next picture, he tensed immediately. She was laughing, caught mid-twirl in a quick-paced dance – her partner was Naruto. His heart sank as he realized that she'd broken her promise, and despite the mild nature of it, he had meant it when he asked her not to dance with him.

The following photo didn't help. She was smiling, and he was smiling, and he had her by the waist, and her arms were around his neck, and they were dancing close, pausing, it seemed, only to pose for the camera.

Neji felt slightly nauseous and kicked himself for not attending the Ball. Pushing away from his computer, he stood and fell facefirst onto his bed, deciding it would be best just to lay there – or he would end up driving to Konoha to kill Naruto for holding her so close.

He figured since he was going out next weekend, it would have to be soon enough.

0

Additional A/N: Don't worry – back to LeeSaku next chapter: The super fun times are coming up.


	16. I'd Travel Time And Confess To Her

_**I'd travel time and confess to her …**_

Neji had an automated voicemail greeting.

Hinata hadn't known that – because this was the first time he hadn't picked up on the first ring. Now she fumbled awkwardly through a message, asking him to call her back and wondering if he was well. She ended it with a soft "I love you, Neji-nii-san" before pressing end.

Sakura frowned up at her from her position on her couch. "What's wrong?"

"He didn't answer his phone." The nervous edge to her voice was more pronounced than usual. "I wonder if something's wrong. He always answers."

"I'm sure he's fine." Ino soothed, offering her a Hershey's bar. "He's coming home in a few hours for Christmas break – you can fret over his health then."

The quiet girl nodded absently, nestling into the corner of a big armchair. "I'm sure he's alright." She whispered, more to reassure herself than anything.

0

Iruka grumbled angrily, muttering about the incessant pounding on the door. "We have a doorbell, you know, Sasuke." He said, even as he was opening it. "_And _it's a Saturday morning – Naruto's not even out of bed yet. Jesus, you look like shit. When was the last time you slept?"

Sasuke hadn't even thought about it. He was still in his formal clothes from the dance on Friday. "Well, I'm going to wake him up – I need to talk to him."

Iruka stepped aside, then yelled after him, "If you're going to have sex or cause him bodily harm, please move it to another house. I have a headache this morning."

Sasuke ignored him, taking the stairs two at a time and into his boyfriend's room. Once inside, he made no hesitation to smack him in the head. "Wake up, dobe." He growled. This, of course, is no way to beg for forgiveness for letting Naruto think he was cheating on him. But as he drove home, he had begun to feel angry – outraged that Naruto would think he would do something like that. "Dobe – wake up!"

"Stop _calling _me that!" Naruto's hand came flying out of the covers and the back met Sasuke's cheek.

The Uchiha stared at him for a moment – black eyes against blue – and then straddled him, taking his shirt in his hands. "What the _fuck _is your problem? If you think I'm not being honest with you, don't – because I'm always honest with you!"

Naruto pushed him off and stood up, towering over the sitting boy in his rage. "You are _not _always fucking honest with me! What about _Itachi_, asshole! I had to walk in on you guys to find out about that!"

Sasuke felt like he'd been backhanded again and averted his eyes, his jaw tense. "That was different, Naruto."

"It's the same thing!" He ran a hand through his blonde hair, pacing agitatedly. "If you're not going to let me know what the _fuck _is going on with you, why should I fucking bother?"

Sasuke unfolded himself slowly, too calmly, and swallowed hard, his cold eyes meeting Naruto's heated ones. "I guess you shouldn't."

Naruto's brow knit together further. "Get out of my house."

0

"You guys," Sakura's voice was strained.

The two girls with her looked up, noticing the expression on her face, and came to her side. "What is it?"

"I think my water just broke."

0

Neji's phone rang again. He frowned, checking the caller ID, and, rolling his eyes, picked it up. "What do you want, Lee?"

"Neji-kun! Sakura-san is going into labor!"

"I'll be home in an hour, Lee – I'll go straight to the hospital. Is everyone there?"

"Most everyone – I think Hinata-san's been trying to reach you; she said you weren't picking up."

"I haven't been."

Lee was quiet a moment, as if deciding whether or not it was his business. Apparently deciding it wasn't, he left it at "If there's a problem, you should talk it out" and then shouted, "I will see you in an hour!" and hung up.

0

"Sakura-chan!"

"Oh, my God – Naruto! Please – make me laugh, or do something stupid."

"I've never had requests before, Sakura-san."

"It hurts so much."

"Should I get a nurse? It's not supposed to hurt, is it?"

"A _baby _is coming out of me, Naruto – of _course _it's supposed to hurt!"

"Naruto, I think you're doing more harm than good."

"Are you alright? Are you comfortable? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm okay, Lee-san. I just need this baby out of me."

0

"Neji-kun!" Lee embraced him tightly. "Thank you for coming."

"Lee, stop touching me."

"Oh! Personal space thing – sorry, I forgot."

"Neji-nii-san!" Hinata ran up, embracing him. "Isn't it wonderful? She's having her baby, finally, and everyone's here to support her! Even Sasuke-kun!"

White eyes looked at her for a moment, and he nodded, removing her arms from around him. "Where is Sasuke? I need to talk to him."

Taken aback, she turned to look and pointed down the hall. "He's over there."

Neji walked away without another word.

Hinata stood staring after him.

0

It had been almost fifteen hours.

The baby was its own creature now – separated from Sakura. She laughed in relief, knowing that it was finally over, praising herself for getting through it. "May I see him – or her? I want to hold my baby."

Frowning, she noticed the doctors whispering together.

"What's wrong?" she struggled to sit up.

The doctor turned to her, an infant girl cradled in his arms.

It took Sakura only a moment to start screaming.

0

"Rock Lee-san?" A pretty nurse hurried toward him. "Please! Sakura-san is very upset; will you comfort her?"

He jumped to his feet, prepared to help anyway he could. "What happened?"

She ushered him along. "The baby was stillborn."

0

Additional A/N: Jeeee-sus Christ. I almost feel bad. I'm so fucking mean.


	17. But I'm Afraid She'd Shoot The Messenger

Note from the Author: Despite the lack of LeeSaku lately, all of these "subplots" actually contribute greatly to the main plot – so bear with me, because they _do _have a purpose.

**Troublesome Writer: **I think things could get pretty nasty, actually – I'm afraid there aren't many fun times coming up at all. -.- Anyway – yay new reviewer!

**Furuido: **Haha – I'm glad you enjoyed my Neji and Lee moment.

… _**but I'm afraid she'd shoot the messenger.**_

They sat quietly in the waiting lounge, thirteen sad faces turning to the ceiling so that they wouldn't have to look at each other.

Hinata had called Sakura's parents, and they were on their way home from downtown, and her best friends waited for news in a muted disbelief, like a dark painting.

"It wasn't supposed to go wrong." Ino whispered suddenly into the silence, stirring each from his or her own thoughts, as she hugged her legs. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

Gaara's comforting hand settled on her shoulder but she shrugged it off, turning her head away, and they returned to their frozen positions in this mockery of art.

A door opened, closed, and Lee stood watching his friends as their eyes, one at a time, shifted to his face. "Sakura-san is alright." He offered softly in answer to an unspoken question. "If she's emotionally stable, they'll release her tomorrow." It was stated with such polite detachment that he might have been simply a doctor relaying bad news.

He didn't mention the baby.

0

After a few hours, starting with Sasuke, one-by-one, they began to depart for their homes, knowing in their sadness that there was nothing they could do. Hinata curled up in her chair, her cheek against her knee, and Naruto slid down in his seat, eyes closed – showing obvious signs of intending to stay until they were told they had to leave.

As he started out, Neji stopped at Hinata's chair. "Hinata-sama, your mother requested that I drive you home." His tone was oddly devoid of emotion, lacking the usual warmth it held when he spoke to her.

She smiled sweetly. "If you want to go home, I can walk."

"I'll drive you home, Hinata." Naruto offered hoarsely – he had been crying more than the others, which was understandable considering how close he and Sakura were.

Neji stiffened, a wave of possessive anger sliding over him as he glared at Naruto, then at Hinata, who seemed taken aback by it. "Neji-nii-san?" Her tone was meek, a recall of that fear she used to have of him.

As if called back by her voice, he straightened his shoulders. "Do whatever you feel necessary, Hinata-sama."

And then he was walking about from her, and she stared after him, baffled by the way _Hinata-sama_ sounded so ugly all of a sudden.

0

"Lee-san?"

He looked up, jumped to his feet. "Please don't cry, Sakura-san!" He knew he could honestly request that of her when her first child had died before she could even hold her, but it killed him to see the anguish in her face.

She gripped his hand. "Lee-san, I deserve this for treating you the way I have."

He sat down on the edge of her bed, squeezing her fingers, assuring her. "There is nothing you can do to hurt me that I would wish this upon you."

"But-"

"Sakura-san." He smiled gently. "Despite how it feels now, everything will be alright."

She sniffled, like a lost child. "You promise?"

"I promise." And Lee had never made a promise he couldn't keep.

0

"Gaara." Ino clutched her purse, staring intently at the dashboard. "I think we need to talk."

Blue eyes blinked slowly at her as he settled back in his seat, turning off the ignition.

She forced her white-knuckled grip to relax and turned to look at him. "I need a break."

He flinched, like it was a physical blow that he had barely seen coming. "Why?" he asked quietly.

She sighed, her eyes darting restlessly around the car. To be honest, she had hoped he would understand and she wouldn't have to explain. But part of her was disappointed that he hadn't reacted more … emotionally? "I just – I can't handle a relationship right now, with school and Sakura's troubles and everything." Her graze found her purse again.

"Why should you be responsible for her?" His voice was as softly stoic as ever, which made her angry.

"Because she's my best friend!" Her voice raised without her meaning it to. "I care about her – maybe you should learn the concept!" she pushed open the car door, jumping out and slamming it angrily behind her. She took a moment to glare angrily through the window at him, but caught her expression, the tear tracks marring her face, and turned to run inside before she couldn't handle it anymore.

0

Naruto and Hinata were silent as they climbed into his car. "Do you think it would be okay to take me to Neji-nii-san's instead, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked after a moment, twiddling her thumbs idly.

He shrugged, solemn. "Sure." His blue eyes were still moist with tears, and she figured many of them were not for Sakura.

"Naruto-kun," her voice was hesitant, as if she wasn't sure she wanted to interfere. "I heard about you and Sasuke-kun."

"How did you hear already?" He asked, wishing he could force more indignation into his tone.

She shrugged, smiling sadly. "Sasuke-kun showed up on my doorstep in tears yesterday."

"Oh."

"Naruto-kun, with everything that's going on – with Sakura-san and everything – especially since you care so much for her, aren't you kind of sad lately?"

"Of course I'm sad!" His voice sounded harsh and dejected even to his own ears. "Who isn't sad? We're all sad."

"Well," she said slowly, thoughtfully, "is now the time to be angry at the one boy who has never failed to make you happy?"

He didn't respond, just watched the road.

0

Hinata soon found herself trudging through the puddles to Neji's front door.

She knew he was upset with her about something, and the fact that he wouldn't be open with her about it frightened her. She knew him well enough to know that only meant one of two things: It was extremely serious, or extremely stupid. If it was the latter, Neji didn't talk to her for a while in an attempt to get over whatever the petty problem was. There had only been one instance when it had been the former, and they hadn't spoken for nearly a month before they let it go.

As she rang the doorbell, she hope for the latter because she couldn't handle anymore stress right now, and with what Sakura was going through, she had no right to have a reason to feel sorry for herself. Besides that, she was on the border of being angry at Neji for being selfish when Sakura really needed everyone's attention right then.

When he answered the door, she smiled as sweetly as she ever would. "Neji-nii-san, will you take a walk with me?"

He eyed the darkened sky. "It's a bit could, don't you think?" he said it in a way that made it seem like he really didn't _care_ what she thought.

A frown distinguished any sign of happiness, and her eyes averted to her feet.

Even though he was angry with her, he couldn't bear to see her standing on his front step shivering like a pet that someone had forgotten to let in from the rain. Slipping from his sweater, he wrapped it around her shoulders, drawing her into the house.

Her smile reignited on her face, and she burrowed into the remnants of his warmth that were in his clothing.

Her heart sank into her stomach again as he brushed past her and up the stairs to his room.

Timidly, she followed.

0

Neji frowned, looking up from his book to find his cousin curled up on the end of his bed, fast asleep. Sighing, he stood, finding a phone to let her parents know her whereabouts, muttering about his idiocy in not sending her home.

They had sat in an almost unbearably uncomfortable silence for hours, and he shot down every attempt she mad at conversation with one-word answers.

He wasn't angry at her, per say, just upset that she would break a promise – despite its mild, almost-joking nature. Besides that, the one person he had ever truly felt threatened by (excluding his on-going rivalry with Kiba) was Naruto and, considering his current relationship troubles with Sasuke, it was only a matter of time before he went looking for a rebound.

After talking to Hinata's parents, he started to make the couch up for him to sleep on when his mother scolded him – informing him that nothing smoothed trouble in paradise like sharing a bed, so he found himself moodily tucking his cousin in and climbing in beside her, determined to sleep with his back to her.

0

Temari let out a frustrated shriek, falling face-first onto Shikamaru's bed. "The group is falling apart," her muffled voice announced from its pillowcase prison.

Shikamaru cracked an eyelid. "Why do you say that?"

She turned her head, resting her cheek on her hand. "That was Gaara on the phone. He was _crying. _Never heard the kid cry in my life and he was bawling like a baby because Ino broke up with him."

"How does that constitute 'the group falling apart'?"

She glared at him but heaved herself onto her elbows. "They're not the first. Naruto and Sasuke broke up too. And, word on the street is Neji and Hinata are heading that way too."

Shikamaru's ever-nearby "Tch" came to surface. "I bet all three of those couples will be back together in a couple weeks."

"Why do you say that, Mr. Genius?" Her voice was a paradox: cynicism mixed with hope.

He shrugged. "You're not a genius – you wouldn't understand."

Her eye twitched, and she considered smothering her arrogant boyfriend with his own pillow – the ultimate betrayal. "Try me, asshole."

He sighed dramatically, ignoring her, and rolled over to get back to his nap.

She frowned at his lack of interest in her, cupping her chin in her hand, staring up at the headboard she had by now become familiar with. "I hope you're right," she found herself whispering aloud to her sleeping boyfriend. She couldn't bear this place without her friends.

He rolled over, scooping her against him, eyes remaining closed. "Of course I'm right." He murmured against her hair. "I'm always right."

She scoffed. "When did you get so full of yourself?"

He tilted her head up, kissing her lightly. "Well, you know, someone like me gets a little cocky when he manages to somehow keep a perfect girl."


	18. I Think I Found A Flower In A Field Of W

Note from the Author: I disclaim Naruto, "Surrender," and "By Starlight." I got the idea for this sitting in the train station parking lot listening to Q101's Smashing Pumpkins block. I had to write it.

I apologize in advance.

**PIE IS FILLED WITH AWESOMENESS: **o.o God, I missed you.

'**A'lusy: **TenTen was at the dance – just because they're all crazy. The thing is – I kind of forgot about this story too. And, not to spoil it or anything, this doesn't have a happy ending for one of the characters! And I'm going to fix things up for the rest of them:flails:

**Einzazmunster: **Another reviewer I missed like crazy! And it's FF dot net that's not sending alerts. :glares: And don't worry – things get better … I think.

_**I think I found a flower in a field of weeds.**_

Sasuke and Naruto were – had been – like any other couple. They went on dates. They kissed. Sometimes they even held hands.

And then there was "their song" – the unfortunate piece of music which had drawn the glare of an angry Uchiha to the stereo from which it played. His dark gaze turned back to the ceiling as he cursed himself for breaking his taboo on the radio.

_By starlight, I'll kiss you …_

Naruto had loved this song and, though the nasal voice of Billy Corgan was belting out lyrics addressing a girl, he had been sure the song had been written with Sasuke and him in mind.

_… and promise to be your one and only._

He closed his eyes as if it might close his ears too, his heart wrenching at every word that Naruto didn't know he had committed to memory. As much as it killed him to hear this song, he couldn't bring himself to turn it off. It kept him grounded even as it tore him apart.

_I'll make you feel happy …_

He rolled over, tucking his hand under his pillow. His wrath against Naruto had mostly died away, leaving him feeling empty and hurt, like an abused puppy, and he wondered when he would start whimpering too. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

_… and I'll leave you to be lost in mine._

He really wanted to blame Sakura, to say that because of her obsession with him and her beauty, Naruto jumped to conclusions. But in the end, it had been Sasuke's fault – because he hadn't shown him how lost he was without him.

0

_And where will we go? What will we do?  
_Naruto smiled sadly at the radio he had just turned on. "Go figure this'd be playing." He muttered, picking up a roller to start painting the guest room like Iruka had asked him to. Humming along softly, he tried to ignore the way his heart constricted.

_Soon said I, will know …_

He had first heard this song when Kiba had burned him _Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness._ It had been about five months after they had come home from California, leaving Sasuke behind. Naruto had still been "getting over him" when he heard this song – this stupid song that made him fall back in love with the stupid boy of whom it reminded him.

_Dead eyes, are you just like me?_

He startled when the _plop _sounded, something dropping into the paint. Touching his cheek with the pads of his fingers, he wasn't surprised to find his skin was wet. And somehow the realization that he was crying just made him want that stupid boy more.

0

_'Cause her eyes were as vacant as the seas …_

Neji had been less than pleased to wake up to Hinata curled against him, a contented look on her face. He was angry at himself when he realized the way his cheek was nestled so naturally against her hair.

_… and all along, we knew we'd carry on …_

The sky was light. A glance at his alarm clock told him eight-thirty. He started to gently pry himself from her warm body, to remove himself as he had originally intentioned, but her small fingers gripped his shirt, her knuckles whitening. She wasn't awake.

_… and to belong._

"Please, Neji-nii-san," she whispered unconsciously, her voice shaking with dreamt tears, "don't leave me." He found himself softening to the weak way she said his name and wrapped his arms around her, feeling that, for tonight at least, he would comply.

_By starlight, I know you._

0

Sakura sighed, forcing a smile for the ever-worrying Lee who had just appeared on her doorstep with flowers. "I'm fine." She said softly in answer to an unspoken question.

_As lovely as a wish granted true …_

He frowned, taking careful note of her sallow cheeks and the deep circles around her eyes. "I don't believe you, Sakura-san, but I'll let it go."

_... my life has been empty, my life has been untrue._

"I was on my way to take a nap." She lied quietly, accepting the roses with a grateful incline of the head. "Would it be alright if I just called you later?" At his agreement, she kissed his cheek, closing the door on him in a final way.

It wasn't fair of her to pretend anymore. The flowers found the trash bin.

0

_And does she really know who I am?  
_Lee sat in his car for a long time after he pulled into his driveway, his eyes on his reflection in the rearview mirror. Everything really was different now, wasn't it? Sakura's pregnancy had served as a wrecking ball and none of them had the force to stop the destruction. Lee felt like he was sitting on top of that annihilator, taking an active part in ruining life for all of them. He couldn't help but blame himself for being so blind to Sakura's unhappiness.

Truth be told, he had known all along that Sakura was in love with Sasuke. It wasn't anything to do with Lee's lack of worth; he just wasn't what she wanted. All she wanted – all she had ever wanted – was for Sasuke to notice her. Lee hadn't been blind to that. From the moment they started dating, he had known that she still loved Sasuke. He just hadn't ever expected her to act on that love like she had. He had hoped she would eventually see what he could offer her and love him. But he always had expected too much from the people he cared about.

_Does she really know me at last?_

"Lee?" TenTen rapped on his window with her knuckles, smiling gently when she got his attention. "Coming in anytime soon?"

Glad to see the face of a person he knew would always love him, he slid from his melancholy and nodded, slipping out of the car and letting her take his hand as they walked together to the door.

_Dead eyes, are you just like me?_

0

Additional A/N: … That chapter had a kind of tone of finality, didn't it? Like it was the end of the story? I mean, it's not – but it did kind of feel like that.

And I'll give anyone who can figure out the foreshadowing in the last paragraph a request story.


	19. Searching Until My Hands Bleed

Note from the Author: This is the … fifth to last chapter of this story. o.o I know, you're all like, "Jesus – _finally. _I can stop sending her pity reviews." -.-

And aw … I lost a reader because he/she figured out and didn't like how I'm ending this. Too bad. :drawling sarcasm:

_Naruto_ and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishimoto. "Surrender" and "This Suffering" belong to Ben Kowalewicz and Billy Talent. "Affliction" belongs to Davey Havok and AFI.

'**A'lusy: **See, the foreshadowing is very subtle unless you've been paying close attention to the rest of the story. o.o Like, I'm sure some people are going to be like, "I didn't see that coming – but I'm not surprised!"

**Einzazmunster: **It's a very complicated situation, you see. And … well, Gaara will be happy soon – I think?

**Anutheal: **I should disqualify you because I _told _you how the story ends, loser. And _why _did you quote a Green Day song in a review to one of my stories? Honestly! Oh, well – I'll give you a KakaIru anyway. Also: I don't know why I like animal analogies so much.

_**Searching until my hands bleed …**_

The closers at the Konoha movie theatre took turns choosing the music they would listen to while cleaning. Since they were all friends, they could recognize who had chose the current CD by what kind of music it was. Ino had a seemingly incurable addiction to Disney pop, for example, and when it was her turn, more often than not, they were subject to the soundtrack of _High School Musical._ Most of them had just made mix CDs of their favorite songs and kept them there.

At the moment, the enthusiastically emotional voice of Ben Kowalewicz was blaring energetically from the speakers, naming Naruto current holder of stereo rights. Since Naruto was the kind of person whose music was determined by his mood, the current "You said you'd never turn your back on me" spoke wonders about how rejected he was feeling.

Sakura frowned, guilt beginning to gnaw at her. Seeing Naruto unhappy was like watching as the earth implodes. He was her ray of sunshine as much as he was anyone's, and she hated the way he didn't smile anymore, especially since it was mostly her fault. She disgusted herself – she couldn't believe she had enjoyed his jealousy, and she couldn't stand that he still treated her like his Sakura-chan.

Even worse than seeing Naruto like this was seeing Sasuke like this. He was always rather sullen, and she assumed he always would be, no matter how great life was going for him. But he had all but stopped attending group get-togethers, and the only time she saw him anymore was when she went to his house to check on him.

She spent most weekends with him and had a set of toiletries and necessities permanently at his house because she felt she was his only acting source of comfort. Besides that, her first child had died before she even took her first breath. She needed to be comforted too and who better to do that than the boy she'd been in love with her whole life?

She didn't know if she was more sad or relieved that the baby hadn't lived. Part of her had wanted to be a mother, was excited. Another part of her would have died a little every time she looked at a half-Uchiha child that wasn't Sasuke's. Besides that, she hadn't planned on putting a baby that wasn't Lee's into Lee's care. It wasn't his responsibility.

The song changed. The melancholy tenor of Davey Havok purred out.

She looked up from the bin she was cleaning, watching a dejected Naruto thoughtfully as he wiped down the counters. She was planning to break up with Lee. It wasn't fair that she felt only a mild attraction to him when he was so in love with her. She was heartbroken that she had to break his heart because he was the sweetest boy in the whole world. But leading him on would just end in an even worse situation – and he deserved someone who could love him the way he loved her – unconditionally and honestly.

She sighed, returning to the cleaning of her popcorn bin. She was spending the night at Sasuke's and she had decided to finally be upfront and confess to him how she felt about him. In the background of her thoughts, as she planned what she would say, Davey Havok continued to sing.

_Oh, I will be alright – just use me._

0

Lee sighed, his head drooping into TenTen's lap as he tried and failed to focus his attention on the movie they were watching. "TenTen?" he murmured against her knee.

She smiled, noting the one-thirty chime of the clock as she stroked his hair affectionately. "Yeah?"

He nuzzled his cheek against her pajamas. "You wouldn't ever hurt me, right?"

Her smile faded, and the light from the television reflected the sadness in her eyes. "Never." She whispered, wrapping her arms around him. "Never, never."

And with everything in her, she knew she meant that. She would protect him from everything. If it was up to her, no one would ever hurt him again.

"Good." He rolled onto his back, beaming at her. "You're my best friend, you know. I love you."

A twinge went through her heart as she kissed his forehead. "You, too."

0

Sakura sighed, pulling her hair from its tie to let it fall around her shoulders, as she trudged out of work with her best friend, huddled together and bundled up against the cold.

"How are you doing, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked quietly, his hands shoved in his pockets. "Like, for real?"

She frowned, tongue clicking pensively as she carefully chose her answer. "I'm very relieved." She finally said softly, green eyes studying the stars that seemed so coolly distant and uninterested. "I'm sad that a life ended before it began and that it was a life _I _created. But I think it's for the best, Naruto. I'm doing okay." Her shoulder nudged his fondly. "What about you?"

His smile was a grimace. "I'd be lying if I said I was okay."

"Sakura." A voice broke sharply through the cold air before she had a chance to answer, and they found Tsunade standing by Sakura's car. "I want to talk to you."

0

Additional A/N: WHOA. Cliffhanger!


	20. This Flower Don't Belong To Me

Note from the Author: Oh, je ne sais pas! I honestly don't know what to say. I am a total bitch would probably be a good place to begin though. -.-

Hey, look! Gaara and Ino are back!

**Einzazmunster: **Cliffhangers _indeed_! I have developed an incurable love for TenTen. She's number three on my favorite girls list. That's not really saying much because they're aren't that many girls, but, you know, I _love _Hinata and Temari. Haha.

'**A'lusy: **A cliffhanger _indeed_! I think I said that already.

**PIE IS FILLED WITH AWESOMENESS: **-.- I hate _High School Musical. _The fact that you just used the name "Billy Talent" in the same line as "High School Musical" truly saddens me.

**Subject 32: **I think Lee is just adorable. He's optimistic and loving and everything I think everyone should be – but maybe without the spandex. Thank you for the lovely review, and I'm glad you're enjoying this.

… **_This flower don't belong to me._**

Hinata and Neji sat cross-legged on opposite ends of his bed, staring at each other. One who walked in then would immediately think of mirrors, then of twins, since their postures, eye color and hair length were nearly identical, their expressions carefully neutral as they watched one another.

Neither knew exactly what to say or where to begin, so they just remained silent as each prayed the other would speak first. Unfortunately, Hinata hadn't announced upon entering his home that they needed to talk, and they had agreed to it in the silent way by which they were used to communicating. So naturally, neither began to speak because, really, what would either say?

After a while, continuing their mirror-like behavior, both opened their mouths, and the word "What" emitted from both lips, soprano against tenor showing that these figures were indeed different people, and then both mouths shut again, teeth clomping together, to politely let the other speak but neither did.

Finally, in an exhausted, defeated manner, Hinata's shoulders slumped and "Neji-nii-san" fell into the silence, and he flinched like it was a brick being launched at his head. Her sad smile was, at best, forced. "Please tell me what I've done to make you angry."

The request was softly spoken but commanding and Neji was surprised into an answer, though no emotion crossed his face. "Why did you break your promise, Hinata-sama?"

A frowned etched into her mouth in confusion, and then into a deeper groove in understanding. "Neji-nii-san, he needed to talk to me. He asked me to dance, and he looked so sad. I couldn't possibly say 'No.'" A defiance was beginning to show in her opaque eyes. "And it's a rather silly thing to be mad about, isn't it?"

He sighed, exasperated, and stood, strolling to the window. "It's not the promise itself, Hinata-sama." His gaze trained on a black cat scurrying across the lawn, and he briefly thought of bad luck. "It's the fact that you broke it so easily." He turned back to her. "Hinata-sama, if you could so easily break a promise so easy to keep, what makes me think that you wouldn't break a more important promise?" He sat down beside her, taking her hands. "What if I asked you to promise yourself to me? Would you be able to keep that promise?"

Goosebumps lighted on her flesh as she realized the implication in his question. "Neji-nii-san," her voice was firm, determined. "In a moment, I would make that promise and die before I break it."

He studied her face. "But how do I believe that?"

Her lips pursed, eyebrows furrowed, and it was the closest he'd seen her to angry in a long time. "You don't trust me." There was no question mark in the statement.

"I do, but-"

"No, you don't." She cut him off, having suddenly turned the table, and stood, retracting her fingers from his hold. "Neji-nii-san, if you don't trust me, then is there a reason for us to be going on?"

He startled, blinking at her. "You don't mean that."

"I do." Her voice had quieted, and her gaze averted to the floor, any sort of strength and anger she felt replaced with a sort of used hurt. "Neji-nii-san, if you don't trust me, you'll spend all your time worrying if I'm being true to you. You won't be happy. I would rather you be happy." She met his dry eyes with her shining ones. "I'm breaking up with you."

0

Sakura had left Sasuke's house early in the morning, having to be back at work to open the next day. She had been trying to tell him something all night, but he had disregarded her for the most part.

He didn't know why he allowed her to hang around all the time, and he knew that he was leading her on, but he was all for company, and she was the only one offering any anymore.

So he was a little startled by the sudden knocking on his front door, knowing it wasn't Sakura because she would just let herself in. Trudging to open it, he was surprised by the Hyuuga who had just thrown herself sobbing into his arms.

0

Temari knocked softly on her brother's door. "Hey, Gaara?" she cracked it. "Gaara, how're you doing?"

He was lying on his back on his bed, staring at the ceiling – the same position he had been in for the last few weeks. The only time he moved was for school, and he barely went now.

She sighed, leaning against his doorframe. "Gaara, you are one lovesick little puppy."

He was too lost in his melancholy to bother glaring death at her for the reference to a cute animal.

"Why don't you go talk to her?"

"She doesn't want me to talk to her." He murmured.

"She wants you to _fix _things, Gaara!" She grabbed the end of his bed and shook it, trying to get his attention. "She wants you to figure out what went wrong and to _fix _it! And you're not going to be able to _do _that unless you _talk _to her." She stood straight, fists on her hips. "It's a pretty simple concept."

"Fuck off, Temari."

She threw her hands up in the air, turning to leave the room. "Fine. That's what I get for trying to be a good big sister and help you out. Jeez. Oh," she spun around, smiling widely, and held out a package, "Bon anniversaire, mon petit frère!"

He blinked, sitting up, and looked at the calendar. "It is my birthday, isn't it?"

She nodded eagerly. "How does it feel to be eighteen?"

He frowned. "Kind of sucks, actually." Taking the box, he narrowed his eyes at her. "Did you just call me your _little _brother?"

0

It was Gaara's birthday. Ino sent him a present through the mail because she couldn't handle seeing him. She wasn't still completely sure why she'd broken up with him, besides the fact that he was about as stiff as a board and didn't know how to smile. She missed him though. He was always there, and she loved his company.

The phone was ringing, and she didn't like it. When she and Gaara were still dating, Gaara never called – he didn't like phones because he didn't talk very much. So she knew that now the phone was ringing and she knew it wasn't him, because _Gaara didn't call._ So she didn't care. She wasn't going to answer it. She was going to continue lying on her back on her bed staring at the ceiling. The ceiling was friendly.

Of course, her mother _had _to answer the phone. And of course, Ino being the social butterfly she was, it _had _to be a call from one of her friends. Grumbling when her mother tossed it to her, she snapped out a "What?"  
"Nice to talk to you too, Ino." Sakura's voice dripped with sarcasm.

The blonde girl's tone immediately changed. "Sakura! How are you doing? How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing well and feeling better, thank you. How about you? I heard about you and Gaara from Lee-san. He said Gaara was really upset."

Ino snorted, her cynicism back, as she sat up, crossing her legs. "Doesn't sound like Gaara. The kid doesn't show emotion."

"Well, maybe he loves you."

She barked in laughter at the suggestion. "Has a funny way of showing it, doesn't he?"

"He's just not used to you, Ino. He's always been kind of withdrawn. I'm sure someone as affectionate as you are completely throws him off."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "How about you and Sasuke-kun? Are you talking yet?"

"Yeah. A lot now that he and Naruto broke up." Sakura's voice dropped sadly. "He's kind of depressed. He needs someone to look out for him and keep him company; I've been trying to do that."

"Well, give him my best. Lee-san, too."

0

"_Lee_!" TenTen sang his name, shaking him. "What's up with this? Have you _ever_ overslept in your _life_? This has to be a first!"

He shot straight up in bed. "What time is it?"

She shrugged. "Eleven or so. Somewhere you have to be?"

He was already up, trying to get dressed and be a gentleman at the same time. "No! I just can't believe I slept so late! I was supposed to call Sakura-san before she went to work! She left an hour ago."

"You wouldn't have caught her." TenTen's voice was soft. "I went out to get us some doughnuts and saw her car in Sasuke's driveway."

He froze, and then his shoulders sank before he slowly pulled his shirt over his head. "Well, I guess it's better I didn't call then." He said quietly. He turned to her, forcing a grin. "Well, let's see about those doughnuts."

0

"So Neji called me this morning." TenTen said around a bite of a jelly-filled pastry. "He sounded so sullen – I mean, more sullen than usual – and he told me that Hinata broke up with him last night."

Lee coughed, and the milk that had been in his mouth spouted over the table. "Honestly?"

She wrinkled her nose, handing him some napkins to wipe it up. "Honestly. He didn't tell me what happened, but I guess she just told him it was over."

"It's ending for everyone, it seems." Lee's tone was sad, his eyes on the table as if all the pain his friends were feeling had worked its way into him. "Why is the group falling apart?"

TenTen shrugged, taking another bite of her doughnut. She thought it would be best not to tell him that it was Sakura's fault.

0

Sakura frowned, leaning back in the cashing chair at the theatre.

She hadn't gotten to Sasuke's house until around one the night before, because Tsunade had taken her for coffee so they could talk.

_"Was there anything in particular you wanted to talk about?" She had a good guess that this was a good will thing, that Tsunade just wanted to make sure she was okay after the death of her baby and everything._

_The older woman nodded, setting down her drink. "I wanted to know what your plans are after graduation."_

_Sakura blinked at her, having not expected that. "I haven't thought about it. I graduate this month because I have all my credits, and I've been accepted to three different schools. I just don't know which one I want to go to yet."_

_Tsunade nodded thoughtfully, stirring her coffee even though it was black. "Lee tells me that you were accepted to UCLA?"_

_"Yes."_

_"And you want to be a nurse?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Well," she leaned forward. "I have a proposition for you."_

0

Tsunade had told her that if she went to UCLA, she could get her an internship and residency at the hospital where she worked, which was an incredible opportunity – it was one of the best hospitals in the country.

When Sakura asked why Tsunade was interested in her, she had said that she felt bad after she lost the baby (so it _was _a charity case), so she checked into her school, found out she had a 4.0 grade point average and was salutatorian behind Sasuke, and had decided that the best way to help her out was to give her a jumpstart in her career.

Sakura had a week to think about it; her graduation was next Saturday.

0

Additional A/N: I was going to bake a birthday cake for Gaara, but I forgot it was his birthday and now it's late and I'm tired and I'd probably burn it.


	21. Why Can't She Belong To Me?

Note from the Author: I enjoyed writing this chapter, even though it made me sad.

'**A'lusy: **Making situations awkward is my favorite!

**PIE IS FILLED WITH AWESOMENESS: **Don't worry. _Happy endings for all!_ Just maybe not the ones you'd expect.

**Einzazmunster: **o.o Just because this review made me giggle, I _totally _incorporated an evening of chick flicks and ice cream into this chapter.

_**Why can't she belong to me?**_

Hinata sighed, leaning against Sasuke, and gloomily took a bite of her chocolate ice cream, glaring angrily at Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck like their unhappy ending had leaked into her life. Sasuke frowned at his somber friend, who had _finally _stopped crying after about five hours and three chick flicks. She had calmed down when he'd started _Roman Holiday_, which he blamed and thanked Naruto for keeping in his house, and seemed to be comforted by the fact that she wasn't the only one with a happy ending.

"So are you going to tell me what happened?" If she hadn't done so much for him when he had all his problems, he'd have sent her scuttling home with absolutely no guilt. But he considered this small girl his friend and, for some reason, wanted to help.

"Neji-nii-san," she whispered, and the tears slid slowly down her face again. "He thinks I'm not being faithful to him, that I'm cheating with Naruto-kun." Her round opaque eyes overflowed once more as they turned to his face. "And I was so mad. I told him it was over."

His brow furrowed, a wave of guilt washing over him. "Jesus, Hinata" was all he could force out, and with the melancholy way her head hung, he couldn't believe he had thought she had any cruel intentions when it came to Naruto, especially seeing the level of misery Neji's jealousy brought her.

At his words, she startled, suddenly remembering from nowhere. "It's Shino-kun's birthday!" she cried, hopping off the couch, her distress obvious. "I forgot! I haven't even gotten him a gift!"

Sasuke blinked at her sudden change of pace. "Relax. Call Shino and Kiba and whoever else and they can come over here." He paused thoughtfully. "Do they know what happened?"

She shook her head, already dialing Kiba's number. "Not yet. And I'd rather them not find out today. Please don't tell them. Kiba-kun! Hi."

0

Sakura sighed, sitting cross-legged on her bed, staring at the cap and gown she had worn the Saturday before, where it hung on her closet door. She was the only one in their group to graduate early.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Lee had been the only ones to come see her. It had only served to make up her mind. They didn't want her, so why should she stay?

Her bags were packed – she was leaving in two days. She only had a few things left to do – and a few people left to talk to.

0

"Yo, Gaara." Kankurou kicked his door open, gnawing on a ham sandwich. "Sakura's here," he spoke around the glob in his mouth. "She wants to talk to you."

Gaara stood slowly, eyeing him. "You're the reason I'm a vegetarian."

The older boy grinned, his cheek protruding. "I've been the reason for worse things."

The redhead gave up deciding if that was a compliment and went to see about his unwanted guest.

When he reached the foyer, the girl took his face in her hands and met his blue eyes, for the first time unafraid of him. "Ino loves you." She said shortly. "Buy her some flowers and play her favorite love song, and she'll just be putty. And try to be a little more affectionate – she's not as secure as she pretends she is."

0

Ino opened her door, immediately "Oof"ing as Sakura hugged her tightly. "Ino," she whispered, tears in her eyes even as she smiled, "I'm going to miss you more than anyone. Thank you." She kissed her cheek. "And don't stay mad at Gaara too long."

The blonde head shook. "What are you talking about? Where are you going?"

The upturn of her lips was sad. "I'll be sure to write."

0

Hinata forced a smile for her friend, who was now eighteen, having carefully evaded questions about Neji. "Sasuke-kun helped make the cake!"

Kiba sniffed at it. "Is it poisoned?"

The doorbell rang, and the Uchiha, scowling at the lack of gratitude, left the kitchen to answer it. "Sakura." He said shortly upon answering it, leaning on his hands against the doorframe.

The pink-haired girl smiled grimly. "Sasuke-kun."

There was a silence as he stared expectantly at her face, and she stared awkwardly at his shoes. Finally, he drawled, "Coming in?"

"No." Her voice was quiet as her green eyes lifted to his face. "I just – I just wanted to tell you that," she took a deep breath and stepped toward him, pressing her lips swiftly to his.

He suffered her kiss, unmoving and unresponsive. But nevertheless, he allowed her this, as if he knew it was a confession he couldn't deny her.

"I've loved you for as long as I've known you." She whispered, eyes still closed, disappointment in the cold kiss trailing into her voice. "And I know you don't feel the same, but I thought … well, just in case."

His expression was passive. "Goodbye, Sakura."

A sob escaped her lips when she tried to repeat the word, and she ran away.

He sighed, turning away from the door, and blinked slowly at the shocked Hinata standing there. "What?"

She shook her head quickly. "You just seemed so indifferent."

His thin shoulders lifted in a shrug. "I guess I am."

0

"Lee!" TenTen smiled mischievously, leaning into his dorm room. "There's this girl that showed up at my dorm, saying something about wanting to talk to you and not being allowed into this build- hey, you took your 'l'espoir' sign down."

He nodded, blinking at her lacking attention span. "Yeah – there really isn't any hope anymore, is there?"

Her frown held no pity, as if it actually reflected his sadness. "Well, she's outside waiting to talk to you, and it's kind of cold so …"

0

Their breaths misted, the clash of warm and cold so strangely symbolic considering the situation. They leaned against her icy car, gloved hands rubbing together awkwardly or lifting to warm their pink cheeks.

"So I'm going to LA."

"I heard."

"Tsunade-sama told you?"

He nodded.

"You – were you surprised?"

His head shook.

"I should have talked to you about it."

"No, Sakura-san, you did the right thing." His smile was kind. "Let's face it; this is a goodbye, isn't it?"

Her surprise was only momentary, and then her eyes trailed back toward a grey sky. "You must have known it wouldn't last forever."

"Yes."

"So why did you try so hard?" Her voice was shrill, accusatory, like it was his fault she had made a mistake. "Why did you continue this?"

He smiled, genuine, sympathetically, the way she'd always hated so he had always avoided. "Because I wanted you to be happy, and even though I couldn't make you happy, I was willing to let you use me to pretend."

Her shock remained visible for a while longer this time, but finally it recovered itself and turned the way of anger. "So our love has been a lie?"

He took a deep breath, stood up straight, and laid a light kiss on her temple, a silent farewell. "No, Sakura-san, _yours _has been."

0

Additional A/N: Happy birthday, Shino. It's also my mom's birthday, so happy birthday, Mom!


	22. I Never Had The Nerve To Ask

Note from the Author: Okay, since I live in Chicago and since I love Chicago, I have to say it, even though they lost: **_GO BEARS!_**

'**A'lusy: **Know what makes me angry? I uploaded this chapter to doc. manager on the 23rd (which is _actually _Shino's and my mother's birthday) and _forgot _to upload it to the _story. _So it's actually two days late, which makes me mad. -.-

**Furuido: **-.- It makes me mad when people who aren't Japanese use suffixes in daily conversation. It's so … poseur-ish. And it's "HAVOK," not "HAVOC." Loser. And I have to go looking for this animal analogy you're talking about, because I still don't know what it was.

**Pyrate-ninja: **Please don't tell me you're happy that all my favorite couples are splitting up because I'm fretting inside about it! What I never understood about the Naruto group was that they were all so different yet they _always _got along. It seemed so much more realistic to me to have them fighting all the time, because that's what teenagers do. Anyway, I'm glad you like the series, and thank you for reading it. I like my silent readers as much as I like my reviewers!

**PIE IS FILLED WITH AWESOMENESS: **I'm still kind of angry that I was so busy on Shino's actual birthday that I forgot to upload it until two days _after _his birthday. -.-

**Einzazmunster: **Actually, she doesn't go to see Naruto, and you'll see why in this chapter. And I'm glad you enjoyed that scene. I had fun writing it.

_**I never had the nerve to ask.**_

"Hinata, tell me something."

She looked up at him, shivering slightly as a biting wind slipped past them, and cowered into her coat, hiding from the cold. "What is it, Naruto-kun?"

"_Why _are we sitting in the middle of the freaking _park _in _February_? It's, like, two degrees."

"It's actually below zero, Naruto-kun." She smiled softly into the Styrofoam cup of cocoa she had wrapped in her gloved hands. "And I didn't want to go to my house because Neji-nii-san's mother is there visiting today. He went back to school, but I couldn't face her."

He nodded understandingly. "But why aren't we at my house?"

"Because I don't want anyone else to get the wrong idea!" her cry reverberated through the thin, still air, echoing back to her all the more sorrowful and lost.

His eyes softened, and he wrapped an arm around her. "Hinata, I never meant for any of this to happen, you know."

She sniffled, trying to keep her tears from rolling down her cheeks, knowing they would probably freeze there. "Naruto-kun, why did you want to see me today?"

He sighed, defeated; disappointed that she hadn't accepted his apology. "I wanted to see if you knew why Sakura-chan left without saying goodbye to me." He grinned at her half-heartedly. "You always seem to know what's going on with everyone, you know? You're so easy to talk to."

She smiled sadly. "Naruto-kun, she's in love with Sasuke-kun."

He shrugged. "Yeah, I know." He squinted at the sky in a way he hadn't in years. "She's been in love with him since the day I met her." Another breath sighed from his lips. "I always just tried to pretend she wasn't jealous of me when I kissed him."

Hinata let the warm liquid of her drink splash lightly on her upper lip as she drank it. "I was at Sasuke-kun's house when she went to say goodbye to him." She pulled her feet up on the bench, her sneakers balancing on the edge of the seat as she hesitated. "I don't think she could stand the guilt that she would feel if she went to see you, because she kissed him and confessed to him how much she loved him."

Naruto's eyes had dulled to a deep blue, like he was tired or like he wasn't surprised. His mouth opened and closed a few times; reluctant to ask the question he knew he needed to.

Hinata guessed his thoughts and saved him. "Sasuke-kun just said 'Goodbye' and shut the door on her."

He smiled softly, his gaze averting to his hands where they rested on his knees. "Teme never did like her."

"No," she agreed slowly, "but he always did love you."

He stared at her for a moment, and then smiled, embracing her. "Thanks, Hinata."

0

So it finally happened.

Sasuke ran out of food. He therefore had to actually leave his house to go to the grocery store (the only one in Konoha, of course) and buy more of the items that would keep him, you know, alive.

One of the little known facts about Sasuke, a fact only Naruto knew actually, was that he quite enjoyed grocery-shopping. There was something about it that made him feel independent, especially since he wasn't malnourished or lacking certain vitamins or minerals in any way, for which he held himself high in his own esteem, but we all knew he did that anyway.

So he sighed contentedly, or as contentedly as a depressed Uchiha can, as he strolled through the store, picking out the food that he would be living on for the next month at least because he didn't plan to leave his house except for school in that time at all.

Sakura had called him again that morning from the airport "just to talk" because she was bored sitting there by herself. Tsunade and Shizune had disappeared somewhere. "Probably to the airport bar," she had said.

Sasuke felt no less inclined to talk to her now than he had before she told him she loved him. He had always known about her feelings; she was a big flirt, and she hadn't made any effort to hide them from him. He had never let her feelings interfere in his life before, and he didn't plan to let them now, so he spoke to her as he always had, in gentle disregard of her emotions or her thoughts because, honestly, he hadn't ever forgiven her.

And how was he to be expected to? This girl slept with his brother, had been pregnant with his brother's child, and she said it was because she loved _Sasuke_? That made no sense to him. A betrayal of that degree was hard to forgive – impossible, maybe. And bitterly, he partially blamed her that Naruto was gone. If she hadn't been so clingy, so demanding of his attention, the boy he loved wouldn't have gotten the wrong idea, wouldn't have thought him cheating.

And hypocritically, he realized now, he had thought of Hinata the same way, had thought her desperate for Naruto's attention, when all she had really wanted was for her friends to be happy and for Neji to love her. In a way, he had helped screw all that up and he knew it.

Having finished his grocery-shopping, Sasuke pushed his full cart out into the cold. He had bought more ramen than he really intended to eat, considering he didn't like it all that much, but it made him feel better to have it in the house because Naruto loved it.

His head was bent against the wind, dark hair falling over his face as he pushed the cart towards his car, which didn't like this kind of weather very much. He had had trouble getting it to start so that he could get to the store in the first place.

"Hey, Sasuke."

He froze, his muscles twitching against the voice, and the front of his cart met the bumper of his car gently, with a dull click of metal meeting metal. His eyes shifted up to those of the boy smiling faintly at him. "Naruto." He stared at him a moment, coming back to his senses at the wind sent a shiver through the blonde boy. "Did you walk here?"

He nodded, the blue tint of his lips paling as they stretched more widely into the smile. "I like the cold."

The stern expression on Sasuke's face must have been near fatherly. "It's a five-block walk here, and it's below zero, and the sun's down. Are you an idiot?"

"Yeah, maybe." He shrugged, his blue eyes trailing off to gaze up at the moon. "You look thin. Did you forget how to feed yourself?"

Sasuke's mouth twitched upwards at the banter that sounded so nice now that he was hearing it again, and before he could think about it, he confessed, "I miss you, Naruto." His fingers reached out to touch the unusually pale face of the boy he loved. Even through his gloves, he could feel the chill of his skin.

"It's snowing." Naruto whispered; a nostalgic joy in his eyes.

Sasuke's eyes lifted to the dark sky and, sure enough, illuminated by the streetlamps, a white beauty was falling, gently kissing their skin as it came down.

"Do you remember, Sasuke, the first snowfall of our freshman year?" Naruto's voice was quiet, like he was afraid to interrupt this, like he would lose Sasuke and this moment between them forever.

The Uchiha smirked cautiously. "Yeah, it was the last day of school before winter break. We left the building and the first thing you did was slip on the ice outside the door."

Naruto pouted, but his smile was obvious. "I was thinking what happened after that."

Carefully, Sasuke leaned against Naruto, and he sighed in relaxation when the blonde boy's arms came around him. "We had a snowball fight in your yard." He said quietly, closing his eyes. "And we ended up kissing and I avoided you for two days."

Naruto chuckled. "That was the best day of my life. I finally got to kiss the boy I'd always been in love with."

The dark head lifted and the onyx eyes stared at him, searching his face. "Naruto, am I still that boy?"

His grin reached his blue eyes as he brought their lips together in a feather-light kiss. "Of course, teme," he said tenderly, "you're the only boy I ever plan to be in love with."

0

Hinata smiled apologetically at Neji's mother when she answered the door. "Hi. How are you?"

The older woman frowned, then smiled, and tossed her dark head. "He's in the back."

Hinata smiled in return, thanked her, and hopped back down the steps, running around the house and into the backyard.

0

Neji enjoyed the relieving _thwop _of his soccer ball hitting the back of the net. He had only come home this weekend because his mother had requested his company – she was lonely a lot now that he was gone. He really didn't know what to do with himself. TenTen and Lee had come to the house yesterday, but he proved to be a bad host since he was gloomy (more so than usual) and dejected.

It was snowing, but not sticking, and the air was thin as it invaded his lungs, but he continued to run the ball down the lawn, kicking it hard into the net he'd had since he was young. Soccer was the only thing that made him feel better anymore; it was the only thing that kept him from climbing onto the roof of his three-story house and jumping off.

He had been trying in the last few weeks to figure out why he had been angry at her, what the real cause of the problems had been. He had never been the kind of person to not take responsibility for his own actions, and he knew he had acted stupidly, without thought, but he also knew that it was partially Sakura's fault.

If she could have kept to herself, could have opened her eyes to the fact that Sasuke didn't love her and never would, Naruto and Sasuke wouldn't have broken up, Hinata wouldn't have felt the need to comfort Naruto, Neji wouldn't have gotten jealous and questioned her loyalty, and she wouldn't have gotten upset and broken up with him.

Even so, he knew that eventually he needed to apologize to her; he just didn't know how to do it without making an ass of himself.

He sighed, giving his ball a half-hearted kick, and it still cracked against the netting as it went into the goal, and sinking into a crouch to catch his breath, his dark hair falling over his shoulders to hide his face.

His ball nudged against the toe of his shoe, like a puppy that wanted attention, and he stared at it, wondering how it had rolled so far from the net. Lifting his head, he blinked at his cousin, who was standing by the goal, smiling shyly. "Hi."

He stood quickly, running his fingers through his hair. "Hinata-sama, what are you doing here?"

Her eyes averted to the frozen ground and she fidgeted in a way she hadn't in years. "Neji-nii-san," she whispered, "will you please trust me?"

He swallowed sharply, shoving his hands in his pockets and finding a box that had been there for weeks. Slowly, he moved towards her, trying to keep his breathing even, nervous, an emotion he'd never really felt. He smiled slightly, registering her confusion as he dropped to one knee before her, holding the small box open in his gloved fingers. "Only if you marry me."

She gasped, choking on a sob, as she covered her mouth, and she fell to her knees, throwing her arms around him. "Of course, Neji," she wept, kissing him hard. "Of course I'll marry you!"

0

Ino shivered as she opened the front door, the snow flurrying around her, excited to be inside, and she blinked at the boy on her step. "Gaara?"

His hands were shoved in his pockets, and he looked her full in the face, blue eyes softer than usual. "Hey." His shoulders lifted in a shrug. "I was going to bring you flowers, but I thought that it would be stupid because your family owns a flower shop."

She leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms over her chest. "I didn't really know you thought anything." It was a cold thing to say, but she was still angry, and part of her wanted to know how much abuse he was willing to take before giving up.

He winced. "I deserve that." His head bowed, his feet shuffling awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Ino," he whispered. "I never meant to be distant. And I promise if you give me another chance, I'll show you everyday that you're the most important person in the world to me."

And just like that, her heart melted, and she took his face in her hands, kissing him softly. "Come inside; we can build a fire."

0

TenTen knocked on Lee's cracked door, smiling when he nodded at her to come in. "I brought you some cocoa." She set it gently on his desk before sitting down beside him on his bed, looking over his shoulder. "What are you working on?"

He shrugged. "I think I'm trying to journal. I'm listing all the emotions I'm feeling right now."

Her whole body slumped into a tired, empathetic position, and she laid her head against his back, gripping the sleeve of his shirt comfortingly, like she was reminding him she was there. "You can talk to me, you know." She whispered. "I don't like this quiet, sad Lee that doesn't tell me how he's feeling." She shifted, turning his face with her hands so that his dark eyes met hers, and she smiled sadly. "The Lee I know would be crying about now."

He shook his head, tilting his head down so that he didn't have to look at her. "I'm not sad, TenTen, not really. I expected it."

"But that doesn't mean you don't have a right to be sad." Her forehead pressed to his temple.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the familiar way her warm breath puffed against his cheek and for some reason that gave him the courage to be honest with her. "TenTen, do you think I was a bad boyfriend?"

She shook her head, wrapping her arms around his shoulder. "No, I think _she _was a bad girlfriend."

They had found over the last few days that speaking Sakura's name aloud seemed to be taboo, so they just avoided it, especially since they knew who the other was talking about when the subject came up.

"Then why didn't she love me?"

She sighed, dropping her hand to his leg, keeping contact in a subtle comforting way. "She was in love with Sasuke all along, Lee. You couldn't have expected to change that, no matter how much you loved her."

The guilt in the line of his jaw was obvious. "Does it make me a bad person, TenTen, that I stopped loving her a long time ago?"

Her eyes softened in a pitying, hopeful way. "Not at all, Lee. People fall in and out of love all the time. You're just human." She pulled away from him, curling her legs beneath her and staring intently at her hands in her lap. "Lee, I-"

"Is it bad, TenTen," Lee interrupted her; his eyes averted just as deliberately, "that I've always been in love with you?"

She sat frozen, and her body seemed to tingle as goose bumps ran over her skin, and she lifted her head slowly, her mouth parted in disbelief. "Lee," she whispered, trying to hide the shaking in her voice, and clung to him suddenly, pressing her lips to his cheekbone, to his jaw, to the corner of his mouth. "Is it bad that I've been waiting for her to go so that I could love you the right way? Is it bad that I've always envied her because I wanted you?"

She trembled against him, and he held her close, and they both wondered why they waited so long to come to each other. He kissed her softly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, and they didn't try to hide the feelings they should have expressed years ago.

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Additional A/N: o.o Jesus, that chapter was long. -.- It took so long to write too; writer's block like, _whoa. _One more chapter, my loves, and it's over – _finally._


	23. Has My Moment Come And Passed?

Note from the Author: This is kind of an epilogue, since this is the end of my little AU trilogy.

**Black-Wolf1324: **On a normal basis, I wouldn't even justify a review that flames my pairings with a response, but thanks for the nicer comments.

'**A'lusy: **Random fun fact – I don't like LeeTen either, but for _some _reason, since I started writing this, the ending has been a LeeTen ending. I'm kind of sad it's ending; I'm going to miss my reviewers. -.-

_**Has my moment come and passed?**_

She hadn't been home in three years.

Sakura's smile was wry as she looked out her window to see Ino trudging through the snow to her front door.

Three years – a lot can change in that amount of time, can't it? When was the last time she had spoken to anyone from home? The last time she had gotten any word from Konoha was an e-mail from Ino about a year ago asking how she had been.

"Three years," Sakura murmured, shaking her head, and opened the door for her best friend. "How things have changed."

Sakura was home for Christmas. In LA, there was no snow on the ground – in fact; it had rained the week before. Being here in Konoha, in the cold, she felt strange. It seemed to her that this was a life she had left behind.

As she and Ino made themselves comfortable with cocoa in front of the fireplace, they danced around in circles of conversation. "How has college been?" "Do you have any good professors?" "How's working with Tsunade-sama?" They pretended that there weren't other things they needed to address because that could wait.

"Do you regret leaving, Sakura?" Ino's voice was soft as she broached the subject. "Do you miss us at all?"

She embraced her gently. "Of course I miss you. I miss all of you so much." She sighed, frowning. "I've missed Lee-san most of all. I never treated him like he deserved."

Ino's shoulder lifted in a shrug. "Do you think it was a mistake?"

Her frown deepened and slowly, her head shook. "No. I think it was a learning experience for both of us. How is he anyway?"

Ino's smile was nervous. "Happily married."

Sakura couldn't seem to hide the shock she felt, but feigned pleasure. "To whom?"

"TenTen," Ino laughed at the expression on her friend's face. "Like you didn't see that coming, Sakura."

Her cold fingers wrapped around her warm mug, her pink hair falling forward like a current over her shoulders. It had gotten a good deal longer and swung almost to her waist. "No, I guess I didn't." Her tone was quiet, and silence descended on the room, leaving the talking to the flames cracking in the fireplace. "I guess I missed my chance, huh?"

Ino shook her head. "You were never right for each other, Sakura. You deserve someone who you can love and Lee-san," she faltered, "well, he deserves someone who can love him."

Sakura's chuckle was bitter, but she forced a smile, looking up at her friend with wet eyes. "So how's the rest of the gang?"

Ino leaned back on the couch, folding her legs under her as she thought. "Well, Naruto and Sasuke are married too, thanks to that lovely state called Massachusetts. They just adopted a baby."

Sakura's smile suddenly became authentic as she imagined her two best friends, complete opposites of each other, trying to raise a child. "What about Neji-san and Hinata-san?"

"Hinata-san got into Harvard. They're," she made air quotes, "'engaged', because legally, they can't be married unless they go to, like, Alabama or something, or Hinata-san changes her name, which I think they're actually considering."

Sakura laughed almost in disbelief. "And Kiba and Shino?"

"Well, Kiba's still out of his mind, and Shino's still trying to get him to stay in."

"Shikamaru and Temari?" Sakura's frown returned. "I don't think Temari ever forgave me for what I did to Lee-san."

"She did. She just still thinks you're stupid for letting such a fine catch get away." Ino's wink was teasing. "Anyway, she and Shikamaru are living together; Shikamaru's mom is none too happy about that, but he really doesn't care that much. What else is new, right? Chouji tagged along with them down to U of I and lives next door to them, or something."

"And," Sakura was cautious wording this, "how are the other Suna kids?"

"Well, Kankurou's still as useless as ever but," Ino's smile was soft, and she lifted her left hand, the light in the room flashing off the diamond in her ring, "Gaara and I are getting married next March." She took her friend's hands. "Sakura, you'll come be my maid-of-honor, right?"

Sakura embraced her tightly. "Of course, Ino – I wouldn't dream of you letting someone else have that title."

They spoke animatedly for several hours, long after the sun went down, remembering the old days, when things were easy, and remembering the more recent days when things were difficult, but either way, they decided, they wouldn't regret a single one of them.

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Additional A/N: Thank you all so much for reading this story. Thanks especially to **Einzazmunster, PIE IS FILLED WITH AWESOMENESS, book-manga-freak, BankotsusChick, Conafrex, Porny, Sasukelover911, DemonRogue, Furuido, and 'A'lusy **for reviewing on almost every chapter since they found this story, and thanks to all the kids who read this but didn't review because I love you too! See you guys next time around.


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